Secrets Sequel To Solace
by loulou26
Summary: Clark and Lois, Kara and Oliver, are still going strong. But what will happen when each woman finds something out about their men and other events that will put their relationships to the test?
1. Prologue

Title- Secrets

Author- Laura (Loulou26)

Pairing- Clark and Lois. Oliver and Kara. A little Jimmy and Chloe.

Rating- PG-13

Well guys, here it is, I wasn't completely happy with this fic but since most of you have been asking me to post it, I'm doing it for you. But please bear in mind that it was written a long time ago so there may be some mistakes that have slipped past me. But I really hope you all like it.

It's not absolutely essential for anyone to read Solace to follow this story but it would help make it clearer.

_**Prologue**_

Sirens blared past her as she hurried down the street, as fast as her feet would carry her in the three inch heels she was wearing. The air was thick with smoke and she could already hear the cries for help. She stopped dead as she rounded the corner, the blazing wreckage now coming into full view. Her mouth fell open at the sight of people running around begging the emergency services to help them. As she watched, she felt something slam into her from behind.

"Ow, Lois! Why'd you stop?" Jimmy grumbled but she didn't reply.

She stood mesmerised by the sight before her. A bus had lost control, toppled over, and slammed into a queue of cars at the intersection in downtown Metropolis. She looked around with wide eyes. An explosion, people trapped in their cars, some of which were burning, the fire department doing their utmost to help everyone.

But they were battling the raging fires that the explosion had caused. It wasn't enough. She whirled around and grabbed Jimmy's arm, ignoring his wince at her vice-like grip.

"Jimmy, we have to help as many people as possible." She said urgently.

"But I…" Jimmy looked around, his face paling as he took in the carnage. "What can we do Lois? We're just reporters." He replied, holding his camera up to emphasise his point. "Anyway, where's…?"

"We have to do something Jimmy. Come on!" She dragged him over to the nearest paramedic.

"Hey, can we do anything to help?" She had to yell to be heard. The paramedic turned his attention away from the woman he was treating to stare at her. His deep brown eyes made a quick assessment of her and Jimmy.

"Look lady, we've got a crisis on our hands here, we don't need reporters sniffing around. Man you people are like vultures." He said in an aggravated tone as he went back to cleaning the cut on the woman's head. Lois ignored his remark and grabbed his arm.

"I can help. Trust me, my father is a three star general with the US Army, I know what I'm doing in a crisis." The paramedic looked at her still sceptical, but this time he seemed to be deciding whether or not to just let her help.

"Come on, you obviously need the help." She gestured at the scene and he looked around, a pained expression on his face at what he was seeing. The emergency services were stretched to their limits and he knew it.

"You know how to apply one of these?" He asked, pointing to the woman's head and a bandage.

"Sure." Lois replied, she remembered her first aid training well. It had been the one thing her father had made sure she'd learned. The paramedic took his time deciding, but eventually handed her the bandage.

"Make sure you get enough pressure on there to stop the bleeding but not so tight that she passes out. You got that?"

"Got it." Lois nodded, glancing at his name badge. "Don't worry Carter, I won't let you down." Carter watched her as she set to work, his eyebrows raising in surprise for a moment at her efficiency. Seemingly satisfied that she wasn't about to kill the woman, he left to take care of someone else.

"Jimmy…" Lois called, rolling the sleeves of her navy blue jacket up.

"Yeah?" He said as he crouched down beside her.

"Can you hand me another bandage, this one's too small. They should be in there…" She pointed at the medic's bag. Jimmy nodded and started rummaging through it.

"It's okay, I know what I'm doing, don't worry." Lois said softly to the woman, who was looking a little panicked. Lois grabbed her hand and held it tight.

"Thank you…" The woman whispered. Lois quickly patched her up, chatting to her in an effort to keep her calm.

From then on, Lois moved swiftly, taking care of at least half a dozen injured people before a tiny crying sound drifted over to her and she looked up to see a small child, standing alone in the middle of the street. She had a nasty looking wound on the side of her leg, blood seeping through her pretty turquoise dress and she looked terrified.

"Jimmy, stay with her." Lois said, before quickly running across the road. She reached the little girl in no time, "Hey sweetie, what's your name?" Lois asked, smoothing the little girl's blonde hair out her face. She was filthy, and her hair, clothes, and skin, all smelled of smoke.

"Melissa." She sobbed, her breath coming in short gasps.

"It's okay Melissa, I'm going to take care of you. Where are your parents? Are they with you?"

"I can't find them…we were on the bus…I was thrown out…but…" She gasped.

"Sshh, it's okay. We'll find them don't worry…" Lois trailed off as the air went silent for split second before a gust of wind, so strong that she had to cling to the little girl, whooshed in around her.

Within mere seconds the fires that had still been burning so strong, were all out and Lois saw a brief flash of something blue hovering above her in the smoke. She turned back to the whimpering child, who could only be about seven, with a knowing smile.

"Melissa, it's going to be okay. We'll find your parents, but first, I need you to let me look at your leg okay sweetie?" Melissa nodded and Lois quickly scooped her up into her arms and ran back over to the ambulance. As she got to work on the sobbing girl's leg, Lois looked around, the shocked and awed murmurings of the crowd as they looked up into the sky made her smile even wider.

"Lois, why are you grinning?" Jimmy asked, shocked that she could be smiling at a time like this.

All around her she could see blurs of red and blue, roofs and doors being ripped off cars, people being carried to safety. Jimmy turned back to her and nodded, understanding dawning on him as he stood up and took off, with his camera aiming high.

And then, just like that, it was over. The fires were out, the people who had been trapped were free and the fire department took over, helping out the paramedics in treating the wounded.

"I want my mommy…" Melissa cried, snapping Lois back to her attention.

"Sshh, I promise we'll find her honey."

"Melissa!" A woman with fiery red hair, ran over to them, her frantic eyes going straight to the wound on her child's leg. "Oh thank God, you're okay!" She hugged her fiercely and then turned to Lois. "Thank you, thank you so much!"

"It's no big deal." Lois said. "She does need stitches though, and I think you should get yourself checked out too, looks like you have a nasty head injury there. Why don't you sit here and I'll go get someone to take you to the hospital?"

"My husband's coming, he'll take us. Thank you again, I…I…" She grabbed Lois' hand, her watery eyes conveying the emotion that her voice couldn't.

"It's okay, really, it was nothing." Lois then stood off to the side as the paramedic they'd spoken to earlier returned. He looked at the casualties Lois had treated and smiled appreciatively.

"You did a good job. Thank you Miss…?" Lois smiled as she shook his hand.

"Lois…Lois Lane-Kent."

As the scene finally began to calm a little, Lois decided that now would be as good a time as any to get a few witness accounts so that she could start working on this as soon as possible. Jimmy was off taking a few pictures of the bus that had caused all the action so she was alone for the moment. She took a few minutes to steady her nerves, the adrenalin she'd felt whilst she'd been helping was now wearing off and she was beginning to feel the effects of fatigue setting in.

"So…I had an eventful morning. I leave early to help someone…" A low voice muttered in her ear, sending shivers down her spine.

"And I return to find that not only is _this_happening, but my own wife is right in the thick of it. Now why doesn't that surprise me?" Lois turned and launched herself into her husband's waiting arms. She didn't have a chance to say anything before his mouth covered hers in a passionate kiss.

"You okay?" He asked.

"Yeah."

When he finally released her, she stepped back and appraised his look, business suit, tie slightly crooked, _her_Clark Kent but with one little addition she was still finding it hard to adjust to. Clark Kent in glasses.

He reached out and wiped away a little smudge of soot on her cheek as she straightened his tie. Then she grinned and smacked him playfully on the shoulder. "What took you so long Smallville?"

To Be Continued...


	2. Chapter 1

_**Chapter One**_

_Six Months Ago…_

"My son." Clark stood before the control panel in his fortress of solitude. "You're training is now complete. You have done well, Kal-El."

"I hope now that I can be the man you wanted me to be." Clark said.

"I am proud of you Kal-El. I may not be with you in essence, but my will is always here. This is your home, when you call, I will be here. Do not forget that."

"I won't." Clark replied, feeling a slight sadness tug at his heart. Whatever Jor-El may have put him through in the past, he was his father and this was his destiny. Clark felt the sudden loss of never having known him in person, wash over him.

"Thank you…father." Clark replied, the words felt strange to him but no less true. He was deeply grateful for all that Jor-El had taught him. He had learned so much from him in the past six months. A deeper knowledge of his powers and his home planet and the events that led to its destruction. He had learned more about Earth and the human race. He had learned to focus solely on each of his powers, strengthening them, utilising them. He had never before felt so powerful.

"There is something that you will need before you go." Jor-El's voice boomed through the icy structure. To his left, a large panel started opening away from the wall. He walked over to it and paused, a sceptical frown appearing. Reaching out, he took the blue and red garment with his family crest on it, into his hands.

"It is imperative that no one learns of your upbringing on Earth. If the humans were to learn who you really are, they would call on you day and night, even for the most simple of tasks which they could accomplish themselves. It is just their way."

"I understand." Clark replied, he knew that this would happen. To be able to help this planet, he would need to keep his human side a secret. Also to protect those he cared about.

"And Kal-El?" Jor-El paused. Clark thought he heard a trace of some hidden emotion in his voice. But that wasn't possible…was it? He was just a voice.

"You and Kara are the last of your kind. Watch over each other. Watch over this planet. It will be a lonely task at times, but do not fear opening up to someone close to you Kal-El. Love is a powerful thing, it can only make you stronger."

Suddenly, at these words, Clark could only think of one thing. The one thing he'd been without for the last six months. _Lois_. He was aching so badly to be with her again that it was almost a physical pain.

"But…be careful. She who may be your biggest strength, could also be your biggest weakness. She will hold everything in the palm of her hand, if she were to betray you…"

"She would never do that." Clark said adamantly.

It felt strange to be discussing this topic with Jor-El. For years he had told Clark that human emotion was a weakness, that he could never be who he should be if he fell prey to the same wants and desires that the human race had. It brought up a lot of painful memories, Tess saying the exact same thing to him all those months ago.

It seemed like a lifetime had passed since she had tried to kill Lois in order to make him accept his destiny. But the pain of knowing he had to choose between saving the woman he loved, or the people of Metropolis, was always with him. He felt selfish for hanging onto her, knowing that he should set her free in order to keep her safe, but he couldn't do it. He needed her too much.

"I understand about her my son. You love this…Lois Lane, deeply." Jor-El said, breaking through his thoughts.

"Yes." Clark said without hesitation. Jor-El didn't answer straight away, he seemed to be taking his time to think through that information.

"So be it. Go now Kal-El. Be the symbol of hope that this planet needs. It will not be easy, the human race does not like change. They fear what they cannot understand. Be wary. But most of all…be happy…my only son."

"Thank you…for everything." Clark replied, choking up a little.

He looked down at the item in his hands, took a moment, and then quickly super changed into it. With one last look around the place that had been his home for the past six months, he rose off the ground, hovering for a second and then flew off.

* * *

"I'm sorry Chlo, I'm gonna have to cancel dinner." Lois Lane stepped out onto the roof of the Daily Planet, one hand holding her cell phone to her ear and the other holding a rather large styrofoam coffee cup.

"What? Not again, Lois." Chloe grumbled.

"I know, I know, but Perry's really been laying the work on me and I'm just swamped. I'm sorry."

"Does this have anything to do with the fact that Kara and Ollie are going to be here too?"

"What? Why would you think that? I love Kara and Ollie." Lois replied, confused as she crossed over to the edge to look out over the city.

"Yes I know that but Lois, have you really not noticed that in the last few months you have done nothing but avoid spending time with us all as couples?"

"That's ridiculous." She snorted, but deep inside she knew it was true.

"Really? I don't think so. You've been burying yourself in your work and you only ever spend time with me when Jimmy's not around. You spend afternoons shopping with Kara, but never when she's with Oliver. Lois, I know its hard and I know you miss him…I do too but…"

"Chloe, really, it's not that. I am just really busy that's all." Lois said, cutting her off.

She really didn't want yet another lecture about how she couldn't go on pining for Clark. True she missed him. She missed him so much that it hurt. But she wasn't purposefully cutting herself off from her friends and family, she wasn't trying to throw herself into her work but Perry was relentless.

It was almost as if he were making her make up for Clark not being there. He had asked Perry if it would be possible to keep his job open for him but Perry hadn't been sure at the time. Six months was an awfully long time. Lois knew that better than most.

And so, hoping that somehow it would help keep his job for him, Lois had worked harder, bringing in more and more stories, and doing the one thing Clark had made her promise not to do before he left. She had been in her fair share of scrapes and near misses, to simply bring in the article. Clark would not be happy about that, but Clark wasn't here was he?

But through the last six months, all she wanted to do was keep her mind off things and Perry kept her focused and for that she was grateful because if she was honest with herself, it did hurt her a little to see all the couples together. They were all so happy with each other that it only served to remind her of what she was missing, of what she once had.

Sure she knew he was coming back but she didn't know when, and honestly, she was a little unsure of exactly_ who_would return to her. He would undoubtedly change after his training, that was inevitable. Would he still be the same Clark Kent that she fell in love with?

"Look, why don't you just think about coming tonight, we would really all love to see you." Chloe said, her voice quiet and gentle.

"I will. I'll be fine Chlo…stop worrying so much. He'll be back soon. I hope." She said, forcing a smile though she knew Chloe couldn't see her.

"He will Lois."

"I'll talk to you later sweetie," She hung up and placed her phone down on the wall in front of her.

She closed her eyes and took in a huge breath of fresh air. The rain had long since stopped, the sun was starting to break out of the clouds but she loved the smell of the air after a rainstorm. This was her favourite place to come after a long day at work.

It made her feel better, like her problems weren't so big anymore. And as always, she looked up into the sky, wondering if today would be the day when he returned. She had no idea when he would actually get back, all he had told her was that it would take six months.

She spent about half an hour just leaning on the wall, watching the people go on with their lives on the streets below. Though the sun was now shining strong, there was a cool breeze that blew her hair around her face and made her shiver. She turned to head back inside and froze in her steps.

Her coffee cup, completely forgotten now, fell from her hand and hit the ground, its contents spilling out onto the floor. She blinked a few times, her breathing starting to speed up.

"Clark?" She whispered, not sure if what she was seeing was true. She closed her eyes for a moment, sure that when she opened them, he would be gone. That he was never there, just a figment of her imagination.

But when she opened them, she saw he had taken a few steps towards her, a loving smile on his face. There he stood, dressed in a tight light blue, form fitting suit, with red boots that reached up to his calves and a matching flowing red cape. In the centre of his chest, was a crest of some kind, almost like an 's' shape. She had seen it before, his family crest.

"Is it really…?" She said again, breathlessly. "Clark?"

"Lois." He said, and before he could say anything else, she threw herself into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist, letting him support her weight.

She clung to him tightly, afraid to let go for fear that this was only a dream, but when he gently pulled her back to look at him, she saw the tears that had built in her eyes, were reflected in his. An agonised frown appeared on his face as he caressed her cheek, taking in each feature as if he was were seeing her for the very first time.

"I've missed you so much!" She cried, kissing him passionately, almost angrily.

"I missed you too. God… I've missed you so much Lois." He replied, his voice hoarse with emotion. His lips found hers again and Lois felt the last six months of loneliness and pain seep out of her with each touch.

"You are back for good right?" She asked, wanting to be sure. He nodded, still holding her up in his tight embrace.

"Yes Lois...I'm home."

To Be Continued...


	3. Chapter 2

_**Chapter Two**_

_**Present Day**…_

"Lane! Olsen! Tell me you at least got a _decent_shot of him this time." Perry White, the Daily Planet's editor-in-chief stormed over to Lois and Clark as soon as they entered the bullpen, looking so stressed that Lois was sure he was about to burst a blood vessel.

"Hello to you too." Lois quipped, never one to be intimidated, even if it were by her boss. "Don't worry, we got something." She said, looking to Jimmy, who had kept quiet until now, for backup. He straightened himself up and held up his camera, giving Lois a quick 'thank you' glare as he did so.

"I got quite a few shots, I'm gonna go work on them now." He said, quickly scurrying out of the bullpen before Perry could say another word.

"What about you Kent? Where were you when all this was happening?"

"Uh…" Clark shifted in his stance, glancing down at Lois who was still smiling. He knew that she loved to see him squirm but in the end, she almost always came to his rescue with an excuse or two. Today, that didn't seem to be happening. He thought quickly, knowing that Perry was watching him intently, waiting for an answer.

"I was out chasing a lead. I think I got something but it's too early to tell and I can't reveal anything just yet." He said, hoping it was enough. Perry folded his arms across his chest and glared at the both of them.

"Lois, this guy has been flying around Metropolis for nearly six months now, and we've only had two interviews with him…"

"Which I brought in by the way," Lois interrupted.

"Be that as it may, we're now losing out to the competition…"

"Wait, Superman's been giving interviews to a different paper?" Lois asked, subtly looking over at Clark. He shook his head almost imperceptibly, but she caught it.

"He's not giving interviews to anyone Lois. You're the only one he's ever spoken to. You're slacking Lane…"

"Lane-Kent." She reminded him, and Clark could clearly see she was loving the look of impending rage on Perry's face.

"Will you stop interrupting me? Anyway, like I said, you're slacking. Get your head in the game Lois, Superman's out there somewhere and I want to know what he's up to."

"Up to?" Clark asked, suspiciously, swallowing hard.

"Yes! What he's doing, where he's been. Does he have a life away from saving people? Does he have a favourite baseball team? Football team? Anything. We need details Lois, the last article you wrote, sold out copies of the Daily Planet in almost every place it has ever been sold. The first article sold the paper out in just under an hour. Its not enough to simply have his latest save in the paper everyday, he's still a hot topic after all these months." Perry sighed and ran his hand through his thinning brown hair.

"And while it was nice to find out that he's an alien with superpowers that wants to help protect this planet, it would be nice to know if he has a day job, or if he was even raised as a human. He said that he'd been living among us for a long time. I mean you're the one who came up with his name for crying out loud, you should be able to get something out of him. So get on it Lane…"

"Lane-Kent."

"I'm well aware of your name Lois!" Perry yelled, frustrated with the smiling woman in front of him.

Clark tightened his grip on her hand, warning her not to push him too far. Perry was always volatile when in this kind of mood. But Lois seemed to always see that as a challenge. However Clark also knew that Perry had grown pretty fond of Lois over the past year, it was like she'd almost become the daughter he'd never had.

Sure they may argue a lot, well most of the time, but there was an underlying affection to it in most cases. Clark very sensibly stayed silent as Lois and Perry stared each other down. Clearly this time was not one of those occasions.

"Okay, okay, I'm on it Chief." She laughed as she walked around Clark to her desk.

"But that's just it Lois, you're not. In the two months since you two have been married, you've been so inseparable, that I think it's starting to affect your work. So I only have one solution to that…" Perry looked at Clark for a second before turning to a now serious faced Lois.

"You're not gonna move him?" She asked, incredulously.

"No, I'm not. I'm putting you together. Partners. It's the only way we'll get any work done around here. So you two _will_work together to bring me another Superman story."

Clark couldn't believe his ears, working with Lois, on a daily basis was already more than he'd dreamed of but this? This was perfect, he could be with her all the time. Which, when he saw the storm brewing in her eyes, he realised wasn't such a good thing from her perspective.

Though he knew it shouldn't, since they were married and all, it did sting a little to see that she didn't want to work that closely with him.

"You have to be kidding me! You're saying I'm incapable of getting an article by myself?" She said, placing her hands on her hips, her voice raising an octave. Perry chuckled as he stepped forward towards her.

"Lois, I know you're perfectly able to do it. But I also know that you need a little motivation. This is just what you need. No arguments. You're partners. End of story."

"But…"

"I said end of story Lane." This time she didn't interrupt him. She simply glared at him.

"Get to work." He said, smiling as he turned and walked out of the bullpen. Lois huffed out a breath and sank down into her chair, grumbling.

"Well, _I_feel loved." Clark commented, dryly, as he sat down at his desk opposite hers, and started his computer up. Lois looked up at him, and almost immediately her expression softened. She got up and walked around behind his chair, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

"Sorry Smallville, you know I didn't mean it like that." She placed a kiss on his temple as he held onto her hands.

"It sounded an awful lot like you don't want to work with me?" He said, turning his face slightly so that he could see hers.

"Its not that Clark, you know that. I was just looking out for you that's all. Besides the ridiculous insinuation that I need a partner to help bring in a story…" She scoffed.

"This is all about Superman. I don't want you to get anywhere near that, it's too close. I thought part of my job was helping to keep your identity a secret." This last part she whispered in his ear, so close that the hairs on his neck stood up and a shiver ran through him. She wasn't playing fair, she knew exactly how to get to him.

"It is, and I appreciate it Lois but…" He paused, his thumb absent mindedly rubbing over the silver wedding band on the ring finger of her left hand. A habit that he'd picked up ever since the day they were married. "Is that the real reason you don't want to work with me?"

"Take a look around Smallville, how much closer can we really get?" She laughed and stood up.

She perched herself on the corner of his desk and crossed her legs, and he was unable to stop his eyes from appreciating the view. Her knee length skirt rode up her thigh a little, exposing the flesh that he knew was silky soft.

Flashbacks of the night before, hit him hard, those long legs wrapped around his waist, their bodies melding together in perfect symmetry. It was almost as if she were made for him. For two glorious months, they had been married and Clark had never known happiness like it.

In the past he had never dared to hope that he would have someone to share his life with, someone to belong to. It seemed to him, that he was destined to spend his life helping people, but to do so alone. So as he looked at her, he felt incredibly blessed.

Lois kept him grounded, she believed in him, she gave him strength when things went wrong. But she also challenged him, teased him relentlessly, and loved him like no other. His transition to Superman had not been an easy one, people had been afraid and cautious when he'd first arrived on the scene.

But Lois had been there, helping to ease the public into seeing who he really was. That he was only here to help. She was his rock. His wife. The love of his life.

"Hey!" She snapped her fingers in front of his face and he looked up to see her smirking.

"Save that look for the bedroom, Smallville." She laughed. "We're at work."

"Like I could forget." He mumbled, suddenly wishing they were elsewhere. She chuckled again and went back to her own desk.

"Well _partner_, I guess we'll have to get started on our story Monday huh?"

"What?" Clark asked, shocked that she was actually considering him to be her partner.

"You know, Superman?" She winked. "I mean we could work on it tonight…but I don't think Perry's looking for that kind of exclusive." She grinned wickedly at him.

"Actually, he'd probably have a coronary if I gave him something like that." She chuckled. Clark pushed the image she had created out of his mind and tried to focus on what she'd said before he got too excited.

"Why not today?" He said, his voice a little higher than normal.

"Because I have to write the article about what happened out there today first. It is Friday and you already saw how Perry is today, if I don't get this in by the end of the day he's gonna be griping about it all weekend. By the way, where_ did_you disappear to this morning?"

"There was a bank robbery in Phoenix." He replied quietly, glancing around.

"I know that you have to go pretty fast but a little note would've been nice Smallville. I don't like waking up alone, wondering where you are and if you're okay."

"Sorry, I didn't want to wake you."

"Well lucky for you, Shelby did that for you." She grumbled, evidently still annoyed at the golden haired dog for waking her up by pouncing on her and licking her face.

Since their wedding, Lois had moved in at the farm with Clark. Mostly because Lois knew that Clark wouldn't want to live anywhere else whilst his mom was still in Washington, but also because they were saving for a nice place of their own in Metropolis. Her apartment had been great…for her, but hardly big enough for a married couple. And Clark Kent took up a lot of room.

So she had sold it and moved in with Clark. She had said that she didn't mind where they lived as long as they were together, but Clark suspected that she wasn't truly happy living so far away from Metropolis. He tried to make it easier for her, by taking her to work in less time then it took to even start her car, but as she had pointed out to him before, she couldn't rely on that method of travel since he was always called away unexpectedly.

But he just couldn't bring himself to move out of the home he'd been raised in, and leave it to someone else to run. His father had loved that farm, it had been his life, the least Clark could do was make sure that it was taken care of in his mother's absence. Besides, it wouldn't be for too much longer.

Martha was set to finish her stint as Senator within the next month, so she would be home after that. After asking her why, she had told Clark that she had achieved what she set out to accomplish and she missed her son and daughter-in-law terribly. The last time he'd seen her had been at his wedding. She'd been so proud, that it almost made Clark, a grown man, cry. That day had been perfect, the only thing that had been missing, was his father.

"You know you love him really Lois." Clark teased. She shot him a playful glare.

"What I love is waking up with my husband next to me. That doesn't happen much these days."

"Cut him some slack Lois, he's a busy guy." Jimmy cut in, suddenly re-appearing to their left. Clark smiled appreciatively at Chloe's husband before shaking his head, knowing what was coming next.

"I am aware of that Olsen. What, you think I suddenly got amnesia or something?" Lois sneered and Jimmy fell silent again.

"Anyway," Clark said, before Lois could respond. "I heard what you did out there Lois. Helping people. You really did a good job, I'm proud of you." He smiled warmly at her, revelling in the resulting blush that spread up her cheeks. He knew how to get to her too.

"Uh…thanks. But it was nothing." She said, dismissing it.

"So, are you guys ready for tonight?" Jimmy asked.

Clark frowned, and Lois rolled her eyes.

"Clark, it's Kara and Oliver's engagement party. Surely you didn't forget that? I know you're busy but she's your cousin and…"

"No, no I didn't forget." He replied truthfully.

It was just that this day had snuck up on him a lot sooner than he'd realised. Kara had moved in with Oliver a few months ago, after he'd proposed to her. Clark had honestly never seen Kara so happy, she seemed to have matured since being with Oliver. She was no longer the insecure girl he'd found by the dam all those years ago.

Now she was a strong, independent woman, who occasionally helped him out when he needed it. She did her own crime fighting in a way, helping people but taking a back seat to Clark when it came to publicity. She wanted to be anonymous, she wanted to live as normal a life as possible. Clark could understand that. Any worries he'd had in the beginning about Oliver hurting Kara, had been washed away by seeing the two of them around each other. It was clear they were deeply in love.

"Okay then," She replied, turning her head to glance up at the brown curly haired man next to her desk. "Jimmy, what photos were you able to get today?"

**_To Be Continued..._**


	4. Chapter 3

**_Chapter Three_**

"Smallville!" Lois yelled, coming out of the bathroom in a huff.

"Yeah?" He called up from downstairs.

"I need you."

Two seconds later, he was standing in the doorway of his bedroom, well his and Lois' room with Shelby coming up behind him to see what the fuss was about. Clark's eyes flashed heatedly for a moment as he looked at her, she never failed to take his breath away.

Her dark purple, shoulder less dress was captivatingly gorgeous. He walked over to her as she turned around, her back facing him then he slowly slid the zipper up on her dress. He knew that she probably could've done it herself, but he had come to learn that she loved him doing it for her.

He let his fingertips graze over her skin as the zip reached the top, revelling in the feel of her involuntarily shivering against his touch.

"Thanks." She said, turning back to the mirror. Smoothing his hands across the silky skin of her shoulders, he stood behind her, encircling his arms around her waist and leaning his chin on her shoulder. She leaned back against his chest for a moment, her eyes smiling into his in their reflection.

"You look beautiful." He whispered, kissing her neck, just below her ear. She reached back with one hand to cup his cheek, never taking her eyes off his reflection.

"Do we really have to go? Can't we just stay here and…?" He asked, nibbling on her shoulder. She sighed and then chuckled.

"We have to go Clark. This is a big thing for Kara, she's nervous enough as it is. We can't stand her up."

"Why is she nervous?" Clark asked, still placing small butterfly kisses along his wife's shoulder. He just couldn't get enough of her, he doubted that he ever would. She was the sexiest woman he had ever met. Her appetite for him was insatiable, which was fine by him, if he could, he would stay in bed with her all day, everyday.

"Seriously, you have to ask? She's nervous because she's not human Clark. She's never experienced anything like this before. She keeps thinking that something will go wrong. I dread to think what she's actually going to be like on her wedding day."

"I'm sure it'll be fine. She knows Oliver loves her, why would she think anything would go wrong?" Clark asked, his head still buried in his wife's shoulder. Lois shrugged him off and turned in his arms, linking her hands together behind his head.

"Because she saw what happened on our wedding day that's why. She still doesn't believe that she really belongs here, she's just waiting for some sign to tell her that she's right." Clark raised his head and leaned his face against hers, his expression turning serious for a moment as he kissed her on the cheek.

"Okay, we'll just have to make sure that she has no reason to feel like that. What happened with us was different, she knows that. I'll have a talk with her later."

"Good. Okay now if you can let me go for more than a minute _sweetie_.." She said, emphasising the last word. "I really need to finish getting ready. And you need to start. So…go on Smallville, we don't have all night." She smirked, before heading over to her dresser to finish her make-up.

Clark sighed, watching her for a few minutes, before turning and heading into the bathroom to get ready.

* * *

**_Two Months Ago…_**

"Clark just leave it alone already!" Oliver said, frustrated. "You're gonna wreck it!"

"It's really tight, did you need to tie it this tight?" Clark whined once again as he pulled at the deep red tie around his collar.

"It's not tight Clark. What is it with you, are you nervous?" Oliver replied as he leaned back in his chair, grinning up at him. Clark threw him a sarcastic smile.

"Of course I'm nervous."

"Why? This is your wedding day, you should be on cloud nine right about now." Oliver replied, glancing down at his phone as it beeped.

"Is that Kara?" Clark asked, instantly on the alert for any signs of bad news.

Oliver watched him for a moment, pacing around his penthouse. The man was a bag of nerves, ready to explode. It was actually quite amusing to see someone so powerful acting like that, and all because of one woman.

The woman who, at this moment in time, was currently at her apartment along with Chloe, Kara, Lucy and Martha. Oliver wondered if Lois was going through the same emotions that Clark was right now. Probably not, she was so sure of everything, she had nothing to be nervous about.

He let out a sigh. "Yes, everything's fine and on schedule. Stop worrying so much Clark. I told you to just relax and focus on where you're gonna be standing in…" He checked his watch. "About an hour's time."

Clark nodded, shoved his hands in his pockets and continued pacing, a deep frown marking his features.

"Why are you so antsy?" Oliver asked, seriously.

"Because…I don't know…what if…?" His voice cracked a little as he spoke.

"What if what?"

"What if…? What if she suddenly decides that this is not what she wants?"

"You're serious?" Oliver asked, snorting with laughter.

"I mean with everything that's happened…what if she decides that she'll be safer away from me? I mean I think that maybe that would be the best solution but I know…_I_ _know_, that I won't be able to let her go Oliver."

Clark stopped pacing and looked over at him, a pained expression on his face. Oliver got up and walked over to him, placing both hands on his shoulders.

"Clark, listen to me. Lois loves you. It's as simple as that. She is not going to change her mind about this, Kara says she's getting ready as we speak and she's really excited. Chloe's doing her make-up and all that other girly stuff. So stop beating yourself up over something that isn't going to happen. Come on man, this is your wedding day, there should at least be a smile on your face. You're about to marry an amazing woman." Clark thought about that for a moment before a beaming grin lit up his face.

"You're right. I'm freaking out about nothing. She is amazing." His face sobered. "Why is she marrying _me_?"

"I don't know Clark, I haven't figured that one out yet." Oliver laughed, ignoring Clark's glare as he walked over to the full length mirror to start on his own tie.

"You know I can always find another best man," Clark threatened.

"At this hour? Doubtful. Anyway, isn't the other one supposed to be here by now?" He asked, smoothing down the lapels of his tux. Jimmy was his other best man. Clark had wanted the two of them.

"Oh no!" Clark said, causing Oliver to spin around to face him. He was groaning as he had his head cocked to one side, listening. "Not now." He muttered.

"Clark?"

"I have to go…Oliver I need your help…" He pleaded.

"Clark, Lois will kill you if you do this to her." He warned. "Are you sure its that urgent? It isn't something the police can handle?"

Oliver was worried, this couldn't be good. And from the look on Clark's face, Oliver knew that he was about to ask him to walk into the lion's den and take the heat for this. He didn't want to have to be the one to deliver this kind of news to Lois, it would destroy her.

"There's no time, Oliver!" He yelled, his eyes burning with conflict. "People are in trouble, a building just blew up and they're trapped inside. I have to go…"

"I understand that Clark but…"

"Oliver, please…I promise I'll make it back in time. I'll meet you there but I need you to go to Lois and tell her, make her understand that this isn't about her. Please?" He begged.

Oliver blew out a breath, knowing that he didn't have time to argue with Clark on this. Eventually he nodded. "Okay Clark, but please, for your sake and for Lois' try to get back on time."

"Thank you. I can't believe I have to do this today of all days." He took a step back and speed changed into his Superman suit then clenched his fists by his side, looking down at himself.

"But this is who I am, Lois needs to understand this now, this is the life she is getting herself into." Clark said, more to himself than to Oliver.

With one last grateful yet pained glance at Oliver, he ran out of the balcony doors and leapt off the ledge.  
Oliver stared out at the clear blue sky for a few moments before finally picking up his phone.

"Kara? It's me…we uh, we have a problem."_Lois is gonna kill me._

"Here honey, this should help settle your nerves." Martha said, handing Lois a steaming cup of herbal tea as they sat in their bath robes at the kitchen table. Their make-up and hair had all been done and the four women were taking a few minutes to breath and relax. Lois took the cup and smiled gratefully at the auburn haired woman who, in little more than an hour, was going to become her mother-in-law.

"Thanks I don't really know what's come over me. I was fine and then, I just got this…I don't know…"

"Lois, it's gonna be fine." Lucy said, placing a hand on her shoulder as she stood behind her.

"I just can't get rid of this feeling. It's weird but it feels like something's wrong." Lois glanced around at the four women, noticing that Kara was looking a little less than happy.

"What is it Kara? Is there something you're not telling me?" Lois asked, turning her whole body to face Kara straight on. "He hasn't changed his mind has he?" She asked, her face remaining composed but her voice was weak, giving her emotions away.

"No, of course not Lois. You know he would never do that." Kara replied, looking uneasy and avoiding eye contact with her.

"Uh-huh, then why won't you look at me? He has, hasn't he? He's freaked out and worried that he's making a mistake. Knowing Smallville, he's probably thinking that I'm better off without him again." She said with a faint hint of disgust in her tone.

As much as she loved Clark, she hated that he was always worrying about whether or not it was safe for them to be together. Even now, after everything they had been through, he still thought about it. Why couldn't he just accept that she loved him and that it was her decision to be with him? She didn't care if it was dangerous, she just wanted him.

Before she could say anything else, there was a knock at the door and Lois thought she saw a look of relief flash over Kara's face. She watched with narrowed eyes as Kara went to answer it. The feeling in her gut intensified as she saw Oliver walk in wearing a grim expression with Jimmy following closely behind.

"Don't even think about saying what I think you're gonna say." She warned as he got closer.

He paused in front of her, kneeling down to her level, and took one of her hands in his.  
"Lois…"

"No! Don't say it!" She said, tears threatening to ruin the expert make-up job that Chloe had done.

"This is my _wedding day_Oliver! The one day where everything is supposed go right for a change! Can't I just have that?" She asked, angrily. Oliver's expression softened into one of sympathy.

"He got called away. An emergency, but he promises that he'll be back in time. He wanted me to tell you that this isn't about you. But he needs you to understand that he had to do this."

"Is that it?" She said, feeling a little relieved that he wasn't backing out. "You should've led with that Oliver. Nearly gave me a heart attack." Oliver frowned, clearly confused by her reaction.

"What? No yelling?"

"If he promised he'd be back, then he _will_be back. Clark would never promise me something he couldn't deliver." She took in a deep breath and stood up.

She looked over at Martha, who was nodding and smiling. "Okay, let's get ready and get to that church. I _am_ getting married today."

_**To Be Continued...**_


	5. Chapter 4

_**Chapter Four**_

_~To the world you may be one person, but to one person, you may be the world~_

"Okay, deep breath in, and out. In through the nose, and out through the mouth." Chloe murmured to Lois, who was standing in the vestry of the church looking out the window.

"Chloe, I'm fine." She said, in a tone that stated she clearly wasn't but was hiding it well.

Clark still hadn't arrived and their ceremony had been due to start fifteen minutes ago. Kara, Martha and Lucy were out in the hall, trying to stall as long as they could. The guests were getting restless, many of them wondering if the groom had done a runner.

But Lois refused to believe that he wouldn't be here. She could ignore the whispers and idle chatter because it didn't matter, he _would_get here. She was sure of it. But as the time went on she was starting to feel the dread seeping into her bones.

What if something had happened to him? She knew he was invincible but he had weaknesses. What if he was hurt? _No, he's fine. He has to be. _

"He's coming Chloe. He'll be here." She said, without looking at her cousin. Chloe nodded and rubbed her bare shoulder.

Lois moved over to the full length mirror to check her reflection one more time. She hardly recognised the woman staring back at her. Her chocolate brown hair had been curled, the top half hoisted up into a small clip to accommodate her veil, and the rest falling in luscious shiny ringlets around her shoulders.

Her dress, she had fallen in love with the second she had seen it. It was a beautiful strapless white gown with a delicate silver floral pattern over the bodice with a thick flowing white skirt. The veil flowed out around her and behind her in a long train. She felt like a million dollars. Now if only her husband-to-be would turn up, everything would be perfect.

"And what if he can't Lois?" She heard Chloe's voice, soft and quiet behind her. She turned to face her, amazed that Chloe wasn't sharing in her belief that Clark would never let her down.

"He will."

"Listen to me Lois…I know that Clark would never want to do anything to hurt you, but this is who he is. He has to do these things and it's probably for the best that you see it now. But you have to understand that there is a real possibility that he may not make it back in time." Lois swallowed hard at her words. For even though they hurt, she knew that they were true.

"I know that Chlo…" She said sadly.

"I'm not trying to ruin your happiness Lois…you're…you're like my sister. I love you so much."

"I love you too honey." She said, giving her a hug.

There was a knock at the door and Lois felt a pang of excitement go through her before she saw who it was. Her father peeked his head inside, looking a little angry.

"Where is he Lo? Has he ditched you?" He asked as he came in and closed the door behind him.

"No of course not daddy."

"Then where is he? I'll kill him if he…"

"Daddy! He'll be here, he's just running a little late that's all." Lois said, raising her voice to be heard. The General, stood in front of her, looking very formidable and every inch the three star General in his elegant navy blue uniform. He looked her up and down, and then smiled.

"Lo…you look…like a princess." He said, holding his arms out. She went to him, letting him wrap her up in his arms.

"Thank you."

"I hope you're happy with Clark, Lois. He is a good guy I guess. I know that you love him. But if he doesn't get his backside here within the next ten minutes, he's toast. I don't care how much you care about him, I will have his head on a stick." Lois chuckled as she pulled back, patting him lightly on the chest.

"You don't have to worry daddy. He'll be here. If he doesn't, you won't have to worry about killing him, I'll take care of that myself." The General's smile faded as he looked at his little girl, he cupped her cheeks with both hands.

"You look so much like your mother Lo…it takes my breath away. She'd be very proud of you sweetheart."

Lois sniffled as she saw a tear build in her father's eye. She swatted him playfully on the chest.

"Daddy, stop it. Don't get me started please, I might not be able to stop. I wish she could be here too. I miss her so much sometimes."

"I know I don't say this enough but…I love you…my little Lo…"

"I love you too." She whispered. There was another knock on the door and it opened to reveal a smiling Kara.

"It's time Lois…he's here."

"He is? He's really here?" Lois said, panic and relief swirling up inside her at the same time. She looked at Chloe, who was now grinning.

"Well then, let's get this show on the road." She yelled excitedly, pulling the veil up over her face.

Grabbing her bouquet filled with white lilies and red roses, she took her father's arm and walked out of the vestry, her bridesmaids, all dressed in deep red strapless gowns, falling into place as she stood at the double doors. The music began and the doors opened, Lucy went first, then Chloe, then Kara and it was all Lois could do to stop herself from running in there at full speed. Eventually it was time to make her entrance. Her father squeezed her hand, smiling down at her.

"Be happy baby." He whispered in her ear. She nodded, a tear forming and then turned her head to face the aisle she was about to walk down. She took her first few steps on shaky legs, her eyes seeking out the one person she needed to see. To confirm he was really there. She found him.

Standing tall at the end of the altar, looking so handsome in his tux, with Oliver and Jimmy, his two best men, standing behind him. She could see the apology in his gaze, she shook her head, a signal to him that she understood and that he shouldn't be sorry. He was here now, that was all that mattered.

As his eyes took in the sight of her, Lois could see that he was struggling to take in a breath. Then his eyes met hers, and the raw emotion there almost halted her steps. So much love, so much happiness. Everything that had ever happened between them, all the bad times, none of it mattered now. She was where she should be.

* * *

The ceremony seemed to pass by in a blur for Clark. He hadn't been able to take his eyes off Lois. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his life. He had literally found it hard to draw in a breath as she walked towards him, a vision of the purest beauty in white, the most dazzling, loving smile on her face. And he felt like the world's biggest jerk for making her think that he wouldn't be here today.

He had moved faster than he ever had before, not even stopping to make sure that someone could talk to him. He had just done what he'd had to do and left. He'd been a little late, but the second he'd arrived at the church, his mother had almost burst out crying with relief. She'd smacked him on the chest and then drew him in for a hug.

"You had us all worried Clark." She'd said.

"I'm sorry mom, but you know nothing would stop me from being here today. Where is she? Is she okay?"

"She's fine, a little worried, but fine. Oh Clark, just wait till you see her. She's so beautiful. I'm so happy for you two." She then reached out and touched his cheek.

"My little boy is all grown up. Your father would be so proud." Clark saw the tears in his mother's eyes, felt them building in his own. He hugged her again, drawing strength from her embrace.

"He's here mom." He choked.

* * *

It all seemed to happen so quickly that Clark hadn't really processed everything by the time he had his new wife in his arms, sharing their first dance. Oliver had spared no expense, he'd hired one the most prestigious hotel lobbies in Metropolis for the reception, the decorations being a mixture of whites and reds, and the food that had been served was exquisite.

But none of that mattered to Clark. All he cared about was the woman in his arms. He looked down at her as they softly moved to the music. They had both chosen the same song for their first dance. A song that conveyed everything they felt for each other. Lois had wondered if it had been a little too corny but Clark had convinced her that it only mattered what they thought. This was their day and if she wanted that song, then she would have it.

"I'm sorry I made you worry Lois." He said, holding one of her hands close to his heart as his other was wrapped tightly around her waist.

"Don't be. I never believed that you wouldn't be there Smallville. You know I would've found some Kryptonite to beat you senseless with if you hadn't anyway." He felt her laughter reverberate through his chest, it felt so good.

"Why do I believe you when you say that? Hmm, that's a little worrying you know."

"Ah, you know I don't mean it. I mean where would I get that stuff from, oh wait, doesn't Smallville have a lot of it just lying around?" She fluttered her lashes at him, grinning mischievously. He rolled his eyes and pulled her closer.

"Not funny Lo…" He muttered, but couldn't stop smiling. "That stuff hurts."

"I know I was only kidding. I would never do that to you." She said, seriously. "Anything that hurts you, hurts me too."

He stared into her hazel eyes, words escaping him. He didn't know what to say to her. All he could do was stare at her, watching her face as the different emotions hit her. They danced like that for a few minutes, lost in each other, the music filling their silence and he suddenly realised, that with Lois, no words were needed. She could see everything that he needed her to see, within him. And he could see it in her too.

"I love you so much Mrs Kent." He said, though the words felt too small to him.

"You know, I love you too…my husband. Man that sounds weird." She said, half laughing as she shook her head. "I have a husband now."

"Good weird?"

"Definitely." She replied, pulling his head down to meet her lips.

After the dance was over, it was time for the speeches. Lois and Clark made theirs first, followed by the General and Martha. Oliver was up next, he stood up with a glass of champagne in his hand, and looked down at Lois and Clark. Lois was leaning on Clark, her head on his shoulder as his arm lay across the back of her chair.

"I have to say, that when they first met, though none of us thought it would lead to this, I think we all saw something happening some day. There was a chemistry between these two right from the very beginning, even though they tried to deny it. I've known Lois for a long time now, even dated her for a while…" He paused, wondering if he should've said that. Clark chuckled to himself, Oliver really wasn't prepared at all.

"But we were always destined to be better off as friends. Lois is…well, she's tenacious, and she always finds some way of getting herself into trouble…"

"Hey!" Lois complained, but still smiling away.

"But the one thing that has always been consistent with her, is…" He paused again, smiling down at her. "She has always been a good friend. When she loves someone, she does so with her whole heart and she is the most loyal person I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. She fights for what she believes in. And when she sets her mind on something, there's very little that can stand in her way. You're a lucky man Clark."

Clark raised Lois' hand to his lips and kissed it lightly.

"I haven't ever really told you this Clark, but I'm glad that I have a friend like you. You always try to do the best for people, even if it means sacrificing your own happiness and that's rare. We've been through a lot together since I've known you, some good, some bad. But you were always there for me when I needed someone to kick me into shape. Thank you for that." He tilted his glass towards Clark, who nodded back.

"I spent most of last night, going through countless pages on the internet, trying to find some sort of quote that could sum up Clark and Lois' relationship. It hasn't been smooth sailing, and even though things have happened in the past, the love I see between these two is truly inspiring. But after getting square eyes from searching for so long, I finally found a quote which I think fits." He cleared his throat, taking a moment to look down at Kara, who was sitting beside him.

"Love is like swallowing hot chocolate before it has cooled off." A low chuckle emerged from the guests. He held up his hand. "Wait, just listen. It really makes a lot of sense. It takes you by surprise at first, but then it keeps you warm inside for a long time. I don't know who wrote that, but the author couldn't have put it better. Love sure does come unexpected, but once you have it," He paused again, his sweeping gaze taking in the happy couple and the woman he loved.

"It's an amazing gift. One you should do everything in your power to hold onto. So, here's to you…I hope you have a very happy life together." He raised his glass up. "To Clark and Lois."

Glasses were held high in the air as everyone stood. "To Clark and Lois!"

Clark looked around at the family and friends all gathered, most wiping a tear away from Oliver's speech, and smiled. He looked deep into his wife's eyes, then leaned his head down to capture her mouth in a sweet kiss.

_**To Be Continued...**_


	6. Chapter 5

_**Chapter Five**_

**_Present Day…_**

"I can't believe Kara wanted the engagement party here." Lois said as Clark pulled up at the kerb outside the Talon. "I mean seriously, déjà vu much?"

"Lois, she wanted it to be where she and Oliver had their first date. I think it's sweet." He said, taking off his seatbelt.

"You would." She rolled her eyes. "I'm just surprised Oliver let her do this. I mean it's not exactly his style is it?" Clark turned the engine off and twisted in his seat to face her.

"Well, when you're in love, you want to do anything to make that person happy. I can relate to that." He leaned over and kissed her lovingly on the lips. She cupped his cheeks and kissed him back.

"You're such a sap sometimes." She giggled. "But I love you for it."

"You better."

"Just promise me one thing Smallville. If I get too drunk, DO NOT let me make a speech." She said, shuddering at the memories of Chloe and Jimmy's engagement party. She'd had a little too much to drink, nothing unusual for her, but she had hurt her cousin's feelings with her harsh words. She didn't want the same thing to happen with Kara. This night was important to her. She wanted to experience all the things that human girls should at least once in her life. Lois could understand that, this was only something you get to do once, if done right.

"Don't worry, I've always got my eye on you." He said, kissing her cheek before exiting the car. He walked around to her side but by the time he'd gotten there, Lois was already out. She threw him a knowing smile. He was old fashioned and sometimes it irritated him that she was so independent. But that was who she was. She couldn't change that any more than he could change who he was.

The decorations were the first thing that captured Lois' attention as they walked inside. She had never seen the Talon like this before. It had been decorated beautifully for Chloe and Jimmy but this…this was obviously Oliver's influence. The whole place had been transformed into something out of a fairytale.

Glittering lights hung from the ceiling, with lilac ribbons that looked strangely like silk strewn about the whole room. Lois reached out and curled one around her fingers, yeah it was silk alright. The finest quality, if Oliver had anything to do with it. He was after all, a man of expensive tastes and it was proving hard to break that habit apparently. Over in the corner, a band was setting up their equipment and the counter at the back of the room was now serving as a bar.

"Wow," Clark said, looking around as he helped Lois out of her jacket. "Oliver went all out." He whistled.

"Lois!" Kara called running over to her and pulling her into a bear hug.

"Oomph! Release the human Kara." Lois said quietly as she felt the life being squeezed out of her. Kara released her and stepped back.

"Oh, sorry Lois." She said, practically bouncing on her feet with excitement. "Isn't it beautiful?" She asked, gesturing to the room.

"It certainly is, hello by the way." Clark said, clearly irritated at having been ignored.

"Sorry, I'm just…all over the place." Clark gave her a smile and then hugged her.

"So where's the fiancé?" He asked.

"He's over there talking to Chloe and Jimmy about something. I honestly couldn't tell you what it's about though, I wasn't paying attention." She replied, her laughter shaking her blonde curls around her shoulders.

"I'll leave you two to it then." Clark said, kissing Lois on the cheek before walking over to the others.

* * *

"Hey CK, about time you two got here." Jimmy said, holding out a glass to him. Clark nodded to him as he took it.

"Yeah well, you know Lois. She takes forever to get ready." Jimmy, Chloe and Oliver all gave Clark a knowing smile, indicating that they knew what had kept them busy, and it hadn't been Lois getting ready.

"Anyway," Clark said, changing the subject quickly. "What were you guys talking about?"

"I was just telling Chloe that I overheard Perry talking about some new CEO of Luthorcorp. Apparently someone's coming in to clean the business up and set it back on the right course after what Tess did last year." Jimmy said.

"Well, whoever it is, I hope they don't turn out like Lex and Tess. I can do without that." Clark said grimly.

"I think we all could." Oliver replied. "But let's not talk about that tonight. I want this to be a night we can all remember."

"Right, congratulations by the way." Clark said, shaking Oliver's hand.

"Ah why so formal Clark, we're practically family now. Or will be in a few months." Oliver teased.

"Well," Clark said, chuckling slightly as he looked Oliver up and down. "I guess I could do a lot worse."

* * *

"You look great Kara." Lois said as she allowed Kara to drag her over to the other side of the room to get a glass of champagne. It was nice, being this close to Kara. She was Clark's only real family and even though their first meeting had been a little weird, she had come to think of Kara as a sister. And Kara seemed to share the same views.

She kept in constant contact with Lois, either by calling her, texting her, or just generally flying over to see her and Clark at the farm. Lois reasoned that it was because Kara didn't exactly have a lot of female friends and Lois was her cousin-in-law. But it was good, Lois liked being the one that Kara confided in.

She often asked her questions about being human. What it was like to be in love, what it meant to belong to someone. Questions that most of the time, Lois didn't have an answer to, but she tried her best and it had brought them closer together, which made Clark both happy and anxious at the same time.

"Thanks Lo…" She replied. Lois chuckled to herself. _The Kents and their primary colours_. Though she had to admit that Kara did look stunning in the blue spaghetti strap dress she was wearing.

Kara handed Lois a flute of champagne and took one for herself. Lois raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

"What?" Kara said, after taking a sip. "I know it doesn't affect me but as you once said, doesn't mean I can't try right?"

"Right." Lois agreed, clinking her glass against Kara's.

"I'm actually beginning to like the taste of it. I could get used to champagne." Lois held back a chuckle as Kara polished off the rest of her glass and grabbed another one.

They stayed like that for a while, laughing, mingling with the other guests, chatting and drinking. Lois hadn't realised how much time had passed and was unsure how many glasses they had actually had, but as she looked over at Clark, who was still talking to Chloe and Jimmy, her vision became slightly blurry around the edges. She felt fine, but she knew that she should stop soon if she didn't want to make a fool of herself. Again.

"Lois, you're not leading my fiancée astray are you?" Oliver's teasing voice sounded behind her, making her jump a little.

"Why does everyone always assume that wherever there's alcohol, I'm right there causing trouble?" She demanded, her tone indicating her irritation. Oliver simply threw her a smile and walked around her to wrap an arm around his fiancée's back.

"So, planning on making any speeches tonight Lo?" Chloe joked as she, Jimmy and Clark all joined them.

"Hey! I've said I'm sorry for that like a billion times!" Lois snapped, her eyes squinting at Chloe. She felt Clark snake a strong arm around her waist as he dropped a kiss on her hair.

"I was only teasing Lois. Jeez, lighten up." She raised her head to see Chloe studying her with a confused frown. And she had to wonder where that outburst had come from herself. She had known that Chloe was only teasing, yet it had angered her and she couldn't understand why.

"Sorry Chlo, it's been a long day that's all." Lois said as she let out a rush of breath.

"It's okay," Chloe replied lightly, but Lois could see that she'd offended her. Great, now she felt even better. Sometimes she wished that she could just keep her big mouth shut. But for Lois Lane, that was a challenge in itself. She should just make an announcement right here, _if you want to have a nice engagement party, don't invite Lois Lane-Kent._

"Hey," Clark muttered in her ear. "Is something bothering you?"

"No, I just…I need a little fresh air that's all." She said, smiling weakly at him as she removed herself from his grip. His hand tightened around hers.

"I'll come with you." She halted him by putting her hand on his chest, reaching up to kiss him on the lips.

"I'm fine. I just need a minute by myself. Please?" Clark nodded but didn't respond.

"Is she okay?" Kara asked, watching with Clark as Lois made her way outside.

"I don't know." Clark replied, his eyes still on the door she'd walked out of.

"I think she might have had a little too much champagne." Kara revealed, with a chuckle.

Clark grimaced. "Great,"

Lois drunk always went one of two ways. She was either unbearably cute and sweet and unable to keep her hands off him, or if she'd had too much of the strong stuff, she tended to get a little…defensive.  
Evidently, tonight was going to be the latter.

* * *

Outside, Lois leaned back against the refreshingly cold wall of the Talon and let out a huge sigh. Closing her eyes, she let her head fall back. She didn't know what was wrong with her, she didn't think she was drunk. But she couldn't actually remember how much she'd had to drink. Something was definitely off…she just couldn't put her finger on it. It was more a feeling that something was going to happen. A sense of foreboding. But she couldn't imagine what. She didn't have to wait long to find out as a voice she thought she recognised, spoke to her left.

"Well, well, well. Lois Kent." Lois froze in her stance, unwilling to open her eyes for fear of seeing the owner of the voice. "Or is it Lois Lane-Kent?" Slowly, she peeked out of one eye and then slammed it shut again. It couldn't be him. It wasn't possible. He was dead. She had obviously drunk more than she realised.

"Aren't you going to look at me?" He asked. She squeezed her eyes together tighter and shook her head.

"Shame, I've been working on my appearance. It's almost back to normal. Well apart from these scars that your husband gave me." He sneered.

Lois bit on her lip, retaliating would do her no good, if she just kept her eyes and mouth shut, he would disappear. And she would be left imagining if what she'd seen and heard was real or not.

She felt him move closer, so close that there was barely an inch between their faces. She could feel his breath on her face, making her eyes flash open and she saw, with crystal clear clarity, who was standing in front of her.

"Hi there." He said, a slow smile creeping up on his face, of which the left side was covered with deep red scars that led up to and over half of his hairless head.

"Lex!" She said, trying to keep her voice cool and calm. "You're…"

"Alive? Yes, no thanks to anyone around here. Don't worry Lois, I'm not here for revenge. I'm simply here to get my company back on track. Tess has made an almighty mess of it. I don't concern myself with your husband anymore. Superman does a lot of good in this world, I know that. I'm not a fool. But he is no longer of any importance to me."

"You expect me to believe that?" She spat angrily, her sense beginning to return to her. He shrugged and backed away.

"Believe what you like Lois. But I have spent well over a year and a half recuperating, suffering, and now, I just want my life back." He smiled again, "But I have to say that I was shocked when I read your wedding announcement. I never actually thought Clark would have the stones to move on from Lana." He chuckled, making Lois angrier by the second. "It was an even bigger shock to find out that Kara's engaged. To your ex, no less."

"Stay away from me." She said in a low warning tone. He held up his hands in mock surrender.

"You know what amazes me? All those years ago Clark was telling me how he couldn't stand you, even asking me to get you into Met U just so he could get rid of you. All that time and I never realised he had feelings for you." Lex chuckled. Lois stood up a little straighter, stepping away from the wall.

"It's going to take a lot more than that to get to me Lex. I'm not Lana, I won't be manipulated by someone as sick as you. I know he loves me. You can't destroy that. Your little minion already tried and failed. So do us all a favour and just disappear again."

"Bold words coming from Superman's wife. I wonder how brave you would be without him there to rescue you every time you get into trouble. Because let's face it, with you it's always bound to happen."

Before Lois knew what she was doing, her arm was raised, her hand pulled back, and the next thing she knew, her fist was connecting with Lex's face. Only instead of hearing the satisfying crunch of his nose as she'd intended, she felt a blinding pain in her hand. She clutched it to her chest, but refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry out.

Lex tapped the side of his head. "Steel plate Lois. I suffered quite a bit of damage to my head when Clark's igloo started collapsing around us. I take it you know all about that, being his wife and all, I can't imagine you would walk down the aisle with a secret like that between you." Lois ignored his barb and threw him a smirk.

"I gotta say this is a big improvement on how you used to look Lex. Still bald I see." She spat.

"Careful Lois, I'm trying my best to be nice here." He said, though she could see that she'd struck a nerve. That at least gave her a little satisfaction.

"What do you want Lex?"

"I told you, I want my life back. I'm done chasing _aliens_." He stepped closer to her again and she instinctively took a step back, realising too late that he now had her trapped against the wall and any ground she'd gained, she had now lost.

"It really is amazing. He had the same decision to make, love or life, and he chose the same one both times." Lex said, his voice quiet as he seemed to be searching her face for something.

"What do you mean both times?" Lois asked, confused. Lex simply smiled and nodded, seeming to understand something now.

"It doesn't matter anymore. I see things much more clearly now."

"What do you want?" She asked again, but he didn't answer her. He tilted his head to one side as he studied her expression.

"However," He sneered as he raised his arms on either side of her, imprisoning her between him and the wall. "If Clark does prove to be a threat to this planet, I won't hesitate to take him out."

"You wouldn't know how." Lois retorted, though inside she knew that if anyone could know, it would be someone like Lex Luthor. His face twisted into a sadistic grin.

"I wouldn't bet too much on that." He said, standing back abruptly. "Anyway, it's been nice chatting to you Lois. We should do this again sometime. I'm sure I won't have long to wait before you're breaking into my offices for some information to scoop on me." He chuckled then nodded his head to her courteously before turning to walk away. She noticed he had a slight limp as she watched him go.

"Oh and Lois?" He said, stopping and turning around. "You look beautiful tonight." He laughed and then carried on.

Lois took a few moments to steady her shaking hands, her left one now throbbing as she held it. She flexed her fingers, nothing appeared to be broken but it did hurt. What had just happened? Lex Luthor was not only alive, but back in Smallville. This could not be good. She had known of his true nature even before she got with Clark. But after he'd told her what Lex had done to him at the Fortress, she was surprised that she'd managed to keep a lid on her temper whilst Lex stood in front of her.

Even now she could still feel the anger and shock, churning deeply inside her, making her feel strangely sick. She took a few deep breaths, trying to quell the nausea and then turned to go back inside, pausing as she saw her husband laughing with Chloe and Jimmy. They all looked so happy.

Should she tell him? He was bound to find out sooner or later. And then what? What could he do about it? Lex knew who Clark really was, he was a danger to him. Lois would be a fool not to warn him that he was back in town. Taking in another deep breath, Lois slowly made her way back into the Talon.

"Hey, you okay?" Clark asked as she went over to him.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She replied, the smile on her face felt forced and tight. He narrowed his eyes as he looked at her and she knew that he didn't believe her. But Clark didn't push it. That was one of the things she loved most about him, he never pestered her to tell him what was wrong, he waited patiently, knowing that eventually she would get frustrated and end up telling him.

"I'll tell you later." She whispered in his ear. "Let's just have a good time tonight. It can wait."

He nodded, smiled and pulled her over to the dance area, where Kara and Oliver, Chloe and Jimmy and various other couples were already swaying to the music. The band Oliver had hired really were very good, but as she danced with Clark, letting him sway her around, she couldn't get her mind off what had happened outside.

Clark had obviously noticed that something was wrong, his face was puzzled yet concerned as he looked down at her. She drew him in for a kiss, smiling against his lips, feeling better as he wrapped his strong arms around her, encircling her in the one place that she always felt safe.

_**To Be Continued...**_


	7. Chapter 6

_**Chapter Six**_

The sound of laughter rang out in the dark, empty farmhouse as Clark carried his intoxicated wife through the back door. Fumbling for the light switch, he almost lost his balance and dropped her, causing her to laugh all the more when he finally set her down.

He flicked the switch and watched in amusement as Lois, still laughing, went about taking her shoes off, something that didn't appear to be easy in her current state. He was still concerned about her though. Something had obviously happened at the party and instead of telling him what it was, she had evidently pushed it to the back of her mind, intending on having a good time.

And she certainly had done that. She had partied with Kara and Chloe, her girls, she had called them, dancing with them and laughing and then proceeded to drink her own body weight in champagne while Clark, Jimmy and Oliver looked on in amusement. Clark couldn't understand the allure of the stuff, it tasted okay but he couldn't fathom why it was so popular.

Karaoke had not been in the plans for the evening, but Lois had managed to convince Kara and an equally drunk Chloe into singing their own version of a Whitesnake song. A song that only Lois knew all the words to. She had sauntered sexily over to him, serenading him as the others laughed. But Clark didn't care, he only had eyes for his wife and he was just happy to see her having such a good time.

He chuckled as he saw her reach for the zip on her dress, then give up in frustration when she couldn't quite reach it. She stopped trying and turned to face him, with a broad smile.

"Come here, gorgeous." She cooed sweetly, holding her hands out to him. He felt a shiver go through him, she had no idea of the effect that the sound of her voice had on him.

He walked over to her and took her face in his hands. Her eyes were a little hazy, but he thought he could see something else there. Something she was trying to keep hidden. He lowered his head and gently kissed her, loving the feel of her soft lips against his. She clutched at his shoulders, partly, he suspected, because she would topple over if she didn't.

"Mmm.." She murmured against his lips, closing her eyes as she leaned her forehead against his.

"You know something? You are one fantastic kisser Clark Kent." She said, her words a little slurred.

"So I hear." He replied teasingly. "How are you feeling?" He asked, smoothing her hair away from her face.

"I feel great actually. That was a great party huh? Ollie sure knows how to throw a good one. I'm glad Kara had a good time, it was important to her." She said, rambling as she teetered over to the fridge. She took out the orange juice and grabbed two glasses from the shelf.

"Here, let me do that. You go and sit down before you fall down." Clark took the jug from her hand, seeing that she had managed to get more on the counter than in the glass. She grinned at him and smacked him playfully on the butt as she passed him, heading into the living room and plonking herself down on the sofa. Clark poured out the two glasses and quickly wiped up the mess before joining her.

As he sat down, she turned her body to face him, placing her legs over his lap. She stared at him for a long moment, her fingers tracing the outlines of his face, his neck, down into the opening of his shirt as if she couldn't get enough of touching him. He closed his eyes, getting lost in her touch.

His hand caressed her thigh, reaching up under the hem of her dress as she pulled him in for another kiss, and as her tongue battled with his, he could feel the urgency in it. She wanted him. But even though they were married, Clark still had his reservations when it came to making love whilst Lois was drunk.

He was too old fashioned for his own good sometimes. Lois always teased him about it, but deep down, he knew she understood. That was just how he had been raised, to be a gentleman. He pulled back before he could get too carried away and held both her hands in his. He frowned as he saw her left hand was bruised and slightly swollen.

"Lois, what happened to your hand?" Her face sobered for a second, all traces of the happiness now fading.

"It was nothing, just an accident." She slurred. He tilted his head and watched her carefully.

"What happened?" He asked again.

"I told you, just an accident. Can we talk about it when my head isn't spinning?"

She let out a soft sigh, a sound that did little to help his resolve, and leaned her head against the back of the sofa. She closed her eyes and held a hand to her forehead.

"You okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, just a little dizzy." She replied, eyes still closed.

"I still have that affect huh?" He teased. "You know you only have yourself to blame for this, I told you to take it easy." She opened her eyes and rolled them at him. Then, before he had time to react, she moved herself into his lap, her hips grinding into his. He hissed and tried to quell the burning in his loins as she straddled him, pressing herself further into him.

"Lois…" He gulped, trying to get some air into his lungs as she started attacking the places that she knew were the most sensitive. Her lips found the spot, just below his ear, and he trembled, then she kissed her way down his neck, back up to his jaw line, and eventually back to his mouth.

Unable to resist any longer, his reservations went flying out the window as he cupped her butt and pulled her closer. She gasped at the sudden move and then smiled. He kissed her back passionately, his lips leaving her mouth to trail down her jaw and her neck, finally ending up on the curve of her left breast.

He kissed the little scar above it slowly, the result of Kara's heat vision when she had been trying to save Lois from being blown to pieces. Clark hated that it was there, it only served to remind him of the worst day of his life. The day he thought he'd lost her. A day that, if he lived to be a thousand, he would never forget.

She clutched at his hair and threw her head back to allow him better access to her neck as a groan escaped her. Slowly, he raised his head, her eyes darkened with lust.

"You have no idea how much I love you." She whispered.

"I think I have an inkling." He replied, leaning his forehead against hers, his senses now slowly returning to him.

"Lois," He said softly, removing her hands from his hair, breaking the spell. He carefully inspected the injured one. It wasn't broken, but her delicate knuckles were now turning a nice shade of purple.

"Please tell me how you did this?" He pleaded. She looked at him for a long time, as if trying to decide whether or not to tell him. Eventually she gave up and slinked back onto the sofa, the shift in conversation sobering her up a little. Her fingers brushed her lips, which were now lusciously swollen from his hungry kisses. She kept her eyes focused on the fireplace as she started to speak in a quiet voice.

"Okay, here's the thing…" She paused, not looking at him, but holding his hand tightly in hers.

"When I went outside earlier, I…well…I saw someone."

"Who?" Clark wondered who could've had this kind of effect on her.

"Don't get mad, please? I wanted to tell you earlier, but it wasn't the right time. I didn't want to ruin Ollie and Kara's night."

"Why would I get mad? Lois just tell me!" Clark said, feeling worried now.

"Lex." She said, expelling a breath. "Lex is back Clark." Clark sat there stunned, his mind desperately trying to process what his ears had just heard.

"What?" He whispered. She looked over at him, studying his expression.

"I was just getting some air, and I heard him speak. I didn't really believe that it was him, I thought maybe I'd had too much champagne or something and it was an hallucination. But when I opened my eyes, there he was, standing in front of me." Lois stated.

Clark couldn't speak, his head was reeling from this information. His old friend and now enemy, wasn't dead as he'd thought. He was alive and back in Smallville. Part of Clark was relieved that Lex hadn't been killed in that blast, knowing that at that time, Clark had wanted so badly to kill him. He'd never been so angry.

In retrospect, Clark knew that if he had done that, he would never have been able to forgive himself. But Lex had put Clark through so much pain, causing Clark to wonder if he could've been a better friend. That maybe if he'd been honest with him from the start, he wouldn't have turned out to be so…evil.

But after what Lex did to Lana, Chloe, and everyone else Clark cared about, he knew that Lex had been heading towards that destination long before he'd met him. He'd destroyed so many lives, hurt so many people. And worst of all, he knew his secret.

"What…? I don't understand, what is he doing here?" Clark asked, shaking his head. Lois squeezed his hand.

"He said that he's only here to rebuild his life and his company and that he wasn't interested in revenge."

"You really believe that?" Clark scoffed angrily.

"No I don't. But what are you going to do about it Clark? You can't force him to disappear."

"He knows my secret Lo."

"I know."

"Does he know I'm…?"

"Superman?" Lois finished for him. He nodded, swallowing hard.

"Yeah, he knows. But he also said that he knows that you do a lot of good in this world. But we can't trust him."

"Believe me, I know that better than anyone." Lois narrowed her eyes as she regarded him thoughtfully.

"There's nothing you can do about this Clark. We just have to be on our guard that's all. If he is up to something, I'm sure it won't be too long before we find out." She spoke softly, but it didn't ease his concern.

"So we just sit around and wait for him to make his move?" Clark said, his voice raising. "I'm not willing to wait for that Lois. I have too much to lose now." He said, rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand. She cupped his cheek and gave him a quick peck on the lips.

Clark looked down at their hands, at her fingers entwined with his. He frowned as a thought occurred.

"Did he hurt you? He said, looking at her bruised hand. "Is that how this happened?"

The mere thought of Lex being anywhere near Lois was enough to make the anger rise in his gut.

"No, I did this. I uh, well I kinda lost my temper and punched him." She said with a shrug. To his surprise, a small chuckle rose in his throat as he pictured the image.

"That's my girl." He said, proudly. Lois grinned at him before pouting.

"Well it didn't have the effect I wanted, he's got a steel plate in his head, hence the bruising." She grumbled.

"A steel plate?"

"Yeah, half of his face and head is covered with scars. He said that it happened when the Fortress collapsed on you two."

Clark closed his eyes, remembering that day well. The overwhelming feeling of being powerless as he watched Lex place the Orb on the control panel of the Fortress was hard to forget. Shaking his head, he stood up and started pacing the room. Why now? What was so important about returning now? He could've hired anyone to run his company. Was he telling the truth? Did he really just want his life back?

After everything that had happened, Lana being forced to use her power suit to absorb the Kryptonite bomb he'd planted on the roof of the Daily Planet, Clark couldn't believe that Lex was only here to restore Luthorcorp. He felt a pang of fear slice through him as he looked at his wife. He had everything he had always wanted, right here in front of him, and he was scared to death that she would be taken away from him.

"Why didn't you call for me Lo? You know I would've heard you." He asked, mentally kicking himself for choosing that particular time to respect her privacy. If he'd been listening, he would've heard everything and Lois wouldn't have had to face him alone.

"I didn't want you to see him Clark. I wanted to tell you when we were alone that he was back." She replied, wrapping her arms around herself. He fell silent as he noticed she had gone a little pale. Maybe the champagne was starting to wear off.

"I just can't stand the thought of him being near you." He said as he sat back down and pulled her into his arms.

"He was acting so creepy, he even told me that I looked beautiful tonight." She shuddered.

"What!" Clark spat. For some reason, this bothered him more than he liked. It meant that Lex was taking an interest in Lois and that couldn't be a good thing.

"Clark, I handled it okay? Don't worry. Let's just take it one day at a time huh? Worry about it when we have to. I don't want our lives to be put on hold because Lex Luthor has reappeared."

"I guess you're right. But I don't like it Lo…"

"I'm always right Smallville, you should really learn to accept that." She chuckled, lightening the mood.

He sighed and leaned his cheek on the top of her head. She may be right, but that didn't mean that he wasn't going to worry about this. He wondered if he must have done something wrong in his life to deserve all this. Why couldn't he just have a happy life with his wife? Why did things always have to keep getting in the way of his happiness?

Lois shivered and snuggled closer, burying her head in his chest. "Mmm, you're so warm." She murmured.

"Are you cold?" He asked, rubbing his hands up and down her bare arm.

"A little, I think I might go and get changed." She stood up slowly, rocking a little on her unsteady feet. Clark smiled and shook his head, she was so going to regret drinking so much in the morning.

"You coming Smallville?" He heard her ask and he looked up to see her already waiting for him at the foot of the stairs. As he stood and walked over to her, he saw her eyes widen as she held a hand to her mouth.

"Uh-oh." He said, seeing she was about to hurl, he quickly picked her up and carried her upstairs into the bathroom.

She barely made it to the toilet before she threw up. Clark winced, hating the sound of her suffering. He grabbed a wash cloth and ran it under the cold water for a few minutes, then sat down on the bathroom floor next to his wife. He held her hair back away from her face and placed the cool cloth against her neck. She took in a few deep breaths, then turned her head to look at him. Her eyes were red and watery and she looked awful.

"Oh Lo." He murmured, feeling bad because he couldn't do anything to help her.

"You don't have to…do…this…" She said between gasps.

"Where else would I be? I want to take care of you, even if you did bring this on yourself." He said with a smile. She glared at him but before she could respond, another wave of nausea hit her hard. He waited patiently for it to pass, his hand rubbing her back comfortingly. Finally she raised her head and sat up a little.

"I swear I am never drinking again." She said quietly. He handed her a tissue to wipe her mouth and kissed her clammy forehead.

"You say that every time honey." He stood up and turned the shower on. "Here," He held out his hands and pulled her up. "You get in there while I go get your my/your shirt." He laughed, referring to the red and yellow plaid shirt that she had claimed as her own.

She wobbled a little as she stood, holding onto Clark's arm with such grip that he was sure it would've hurt if he was human. He looked at her face, pale and clammy, she looked awful and it made him feel guilty for teasing her about this being her fault. She had only wanted to have a good time, and now she was suffering.

Slowly, he helped her get undressed and into the shower. She sat on the side of the tub and sighed.

"I'm so going to pay for this in the morning." She groaned, holding her head between her hands. "And don't you dare say I deserve it!" She said pointing a finger at him. He smiled innocently.

"I wouldn't dare. I hate seeing you like this." He cupped her cheek and gave her a sympathetic look. "Stay there, I'll be right back."

After he'd gotten her showered and changed, Clark carried Lois through to their room and placed her down softly on the bed. She was starting to doze off as he changed and then climbed in next to her, she moved over and snuggled in close to him, her face burrowing into the crook of his neck. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

But sleep would not come anytime soon for him. Clark lay there with thoughts of Lex's return racing through his mind and what it could mean for him and the people he loved. One thing was for sure, Lex was never going to give up.


	8. Chapter 7

_**Chapter Seven**_

"Hello? Anyone home?" Kara called out as she walked into the farmhouse early the next morning. Shelby was the only one who came to greet her, wagging his tail and barking loudly.

"Hey boy, where is everyone huh?" She asked, laughing as she bent down to stroke him. He rolled over onto his back, giving her a look that implied he was attention starved. She giggled as she rubbed his belly.

"Lonely are you boy?" She said, standing up again. She knew that someone had to be here because the door had been unlocked. She listened intently with her super hearing, figuring that maybe Clark was out doing chores or Lois was at work. Though after the amount she had drunk last night, Kara suspected she was probably still asleep.

"Lois?"

"Just a second!" Lois yelled down from upstairs. Kara shook her head and smiled as she went into the living room to sit down with Shelby following closely behind. Her smile, however, faded as Lois walked into the room a few minutes later looking like death warmed up.

"Lois! Hey are you okay?" Lois took a seat next to her on the sofa, curling herself tightly up into a ball. Kara had never seen her like this before, it was slightly worrying. She had never really realised before last year how fragile human life could be.

"Never better." Lois replied, grimacing. "I tell you Kara, you're lucky you can't get drunk."

"If this is the result Lois, why do you do it?" Kara asked, genuinely curious as to why humans chose to put their bodies through this in order to simply have a 'good time'.

"I honestly have no idea. Its really not worth it. The next time I have a bright idea to drink champagne, please stop me. Knock me out if you have to." Lois moaned. Shelby padded over to her, sat down in front of her and rested his chin on her knee.

"Ugh! Shelby, not now!" She groaned out loud, squeezing her eyes shut.

Shelby whined softly and put his paw on her other knee, giving her the puppy eyes that he knew instantly melted her. She sighed and scratched his ear, smiling as he tilted his head, enjoying the attention.

"So Kara, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you still be in bed with your fiancé?" She said, wiggling her eyebrows.

Kara felt her cheeks flood with colour at Lois' choice of words. She wasn't used to having someone to talk to about that aspect of her life. Until she had met Oliver, she hadn't even had that aspect of her life.

"Well, I actually needed to talk to Clark about something. Where is he anyway?" Kara replied, deflecting.

Lois shrugged her shoulders. "He was gone again when I woke up. I assume he got another cry for help."

Kara studied her thoughtfully. "Does it bother you?"

"What?"

"Clark being gone all the time."

Lois pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes again, squinting as she opened them against the bright sunlight entering the room.

"Not really. I mean it does in a way, but I knew what I was getting into when I married him. That's who he is, I wouldn't change that for anything. I know it makes him happy, to be able to help people."

"It is a great feeling. To have these powers and to be able to put them to good use." She let out a short burst of laughter. "I remember the first few weeks after meeting Clark. He tried so hard to get me to be responsible and not flaunt my abilities. Like one time, he tried to teach me how to control my heat vision and…" Kara paused, remembering back to that day and the look on her cousin's face.

"How'd he teach you to do that?" Lois asked.

"With a watermelon. He told me to burn two eyes and a mouth into it but when I tried, it just exploded. With Clark standing very close I might add. He was covered in it." Lois started laughing, but Kara could tell that had been a bad decision as her face scrunched up in pain. She reached over and laid a hand on Lois' arm.

"Can I get you anything Lois? You look awful."

"No I'm good thanks. Just need to…oh no…"

Kara watched in surprise as Lois got up and darted upstairs quickly, clamping a hand tightly over her mouth. She looked down at Shelby, who was staring at the stairs and whining.

"Guess it's just you and me huh Shelbs?"

* * *

"I don't care how long it takes! I want this company back on track within the next week." Lex yelled into his phone. He listened to the reply from his bumbling assistant for a moment, then scowled into the phone.

"Yes, I am aware of the damage she did, but that was a long time ago and you have failed to do what you were asked when you took over from her. So from now on, every decision, big or small, goes through me first. Understand?" Lex waited for the reply and then hung up, feeling more than a little frustrated.

How was he going to save this company? He certainly wasn't about to let Oliver Queen get his hands on anymore of it. He had lost enough to him already, it was time for some damage control. He got up from his desk and walked around the study. This had been the room he'd spent ninety percent of his time in when he'd lived here before. It held a lot of memories.

He thought back to all the times that he and Clark had sat in here, discussing life and meteor freaks and other stuff during their ill-fated friendship. He should've seen the clues way back then but he'd been blinded by friendship. He'd wanted Clark to believe in him. And when that failed, Clark had turned his back on him. And then…then Lex found out who, or more precisely what, he really was. An alien.

He was sure back then that Clark had been a threat to the planet, that he was performing his duty to destroy him. But that had backfired, leaving him scarred and damaged. He had spent the last year going through countless excruciatingly painful surgeries to repair the damage to his face and broken body. He had tried his best to find a way to fix himself after that witch stole his power suit. That thing had taken years of research and not only would it have helped him heal, it would've put him on a level playing field with Clark.

He knew that Lana had been sniffing around, trying to find it, and so he had put a plan into action, separating her and Clark forever. He knew that as soon as she reappeared in his life, they would inevitably get back together. They always did, it was sickening to watch. He had loved Lana so much, and if he was honest, he still did. Sure, he'd done things to her that he wasn't proud of, but she had betrayed him in the worst possible way and he'd had no choice but to exact his revenge.

The look on Clark's face had been priceless, standing on the roof of the Daily Planet, trying to find a way to deactivate the bomb, so much pain and intensity, a look that Lex would never forget.

However, recent events had thrown Lex for a loop. In all the time he'd known him, he had never even once suspected that Clark had been hiding certain feelings for Lois Lane, of all people. And now they were married! Clark was Lois' husband. She was his wife. How on earth had that happened? Had he really moved on from Lana? The girl he had loved practically his whole life. Or was it a simple case of, out of sight, out of mind?

A movement out on the balcony caught his attention and as he walked over to the doors, he saw the object of his thoughts staring back at him with such hatred on his face. He knew it wouldn't have been long before he knew that he was back in town. Lex opened the doors slowly, taking in the sight of the being they called 'Superman' with genuine curiosity.

Obviously by now, Lex knew that Clark wasn't here to destroy them all, but after all that had passed between them, he knew in his cold heart, that he hated Clark as much as Clark hated him. Which, judging from the look on his face right now, was a lot. They stared at each other for what felt like hours, but was only a few minutes, neither one saying anything.

Clark's eyes burned into Lex's with more hatred than Lex had ever seen before. The Clark he had known always had a forgiving nature, and as a result, Lex had never seen this look. But it was quite rewarding in a way, to know that he still got under his skin.

"So are you going to say anything? Or are you just gonna kill me now?" Lex asked, shoving his hands deep into his pockets as he turned back to his desk.

"Don't tempt me!" Clark growled out in a menacing voice that made Lex's head whirl around to face him.

"Such anger Clark. Oh sorry," He gestured at the light blue suit Clark was wearing. "I mean _Superman_." He sneered. "Where did you get that ridiculous name anyway?"

"I'm trying real hard not to rip your head off here Lex." He said, stepping into the room. Lex looked down at Clark's hands, which were balled up into fists by his sides, and he was surprised to see them actually shaking. "What are you doing back here?"

Lex arched an eyebrow at him. "What business is it of yours? Do you control this town now?"

Clark took a step towards him, standing tall, towering over him. But Lex refused to be intimidated.

"Lex, you cause nothing but pain and trouble anywhere you go, so I'll ask you again. Why did you come back?"

"Hey, I didn't ask Tess to do what she did last year. She took it upon herself to act as your saviour. She's a fool. But she has done a lot of damage and I am now here to repair it. I just want my old life back Clark. Nothing more."

Slowly, Clark raised his hand and grabbed the collar of Lex's shirt. His fist tightened around it and Lex could see the battle waging in his eyes. He wanted to hurt him, possibly even kill him. But it wasn't in his nature. Lex knew that.

"How can you stand here…and not even care…what you did was…" Clark spoke in low, uneven tones, the anger in his voice making it shake slightly.

"I did what I felt was the right thing Clark. And then of course, you and your precious Lana got in the way of my recovery."

"Recovery?" Clark scoffed, dropping his hand as his eyes roamed over the scars on his face. "You weren't trying to recover Lex, you were trying to get your hands on a suit that would enable you to fight me. Was getting revenge on me so important that you were willing to risk your life for it?"

"Yes." Lex stated clearly. Because it had been. At the time.

"You tore us apart. You planted a bomb in a city full of innocent people Lex. Because of me!" Clark yelled.

"Yes."

"Why? How could you do that?"

"Because I wanted you to suffer."

"I know that. But why bring other people into it? Why Lana?"

"She brought this on herself Clark. If she hadn't been so greedy, wanting to be your equal, then none of this would've happened to her. She only has herself to blame for who she is now." Lex watched his reaction closely, looking for any signs that Clark was still in love with Lana. Because he couldn't really believe that Clark would stop loving her.

"She's happy with who she is now Lex. She's not a part of my life anymore, that was your doing. You got what you wanted. But _I've _moved on, I don't dwell on the past anymore. I have what I want now. I just…I can't believe that you would risk innocent people's lives. I guess I shouldn't have been so surprised though, you destroy everything you touch. You're too far gone for help Lex, you're…"

"So, what? It doesn't matter anymore?" Lex replied, yelling right back in his face. "Lana got rid of the bomb, she got powers like she always wanted and what happened next? Oh yeah, she took off…again." Lex said, pouring salt into wounds that he wasn't aware had healed.

"She had no choice."

"Well I guess it doesn't really matter now does it? You moved on pretty quickly. I never thought you would actually get over Lana. But I suppose if you're in the market for a new girlfriend, why not go for the one you couldn't stand for years? How on earth did you end up marrying Lois Lane?"

Suddenly Clark had his hands around his neck, applying only minimal pressure but enough to wipe the smirk off Lex's face.

"You don't get to say her name!" Clark growled, his eyes flashing crimson.

"Touchy? What, being Mr Lane doesn't agree with you? I must admit, when I saw her last night, she did look…different. She looked quite…" He was cut off as Clark began squeezing lightly.

"Don't talk about my wife! She has nothing to do with this. If I get so much as a hint that you have gone anywhere near her, I _will _kill you!" Lex waited, staying silent, until Clark's hands eventually loosened their grip and he took a step back again.

"Don't worry Clark, I have no interest in your wife. Or you for that matter."

"You seriously expect me to believe that after all you've done?"

"I don't care what you believe. This planet may have you up on a pedestal as some kind of saviour, but I know who you really are Clark. You're an alien. Simple as that. And I will be keeping my eye on you." Lex said, his face serious now.

"I'm not the one that needs watching Lex. But I promise you this, if you come anywhere near my wife, or any of my family, I will make you regret ever coming back here and you will wish that you had been killed in that blast." Clark walked over to the balcony doors and stopped, looking back at Lex.

"It was nice of you to drop by to welcome me home Clark. But next time, call first." Lex smirked, then sat down at his desk, turning his back to Clark.

Clark watched him for a few minutes, feeling the anger bubbling just under the surface. But there was nothing more to say. He walked out onto the balcony and flew up into the air, soaring high into the clouds in an effort to try and calm himself down.

* * *

Lois and Kara looked up as the door banged open to see Clark walk in with a brown paper bag in his hands. He deposited it on the kitchen counter before heading into the living room.

"Hey Kara, what are you doing here?" He asked. Lois frowned. Something was wrong with him. He was angry. A sudden churning went through her gut as she realised where he must have been.

"I came to see you. But you weren't here and so I thought I'd keep Lois company for a while." Kara replied.

Clark looked down at Lois, who was still curled up on the sofa, with a blanket around her. He crouched down in front of her and kissed her softly, lingering for a long moment.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, his voice quiet, as his hand brushed her cheek.

"I'm fine." She replied. They both looked over at Kara when she scoffed.

"Please, she's been throwing up ever since I got here." Lois threw Kara a warning glance, knowing how Clark always worried about the smallest things.

"Still? That's unusual isn't it?" He asked, looking at her with concern evident in his gaze. But there was something else in his eyes that Lois couldn't define.

"Not really, sometimes this lasts for at least a day. Clark, where have you been?"

"I uh…had to go help someone." He replied, getting up and heading back into the kitchen. Lois and Kara followed him in, perching themselves on the stools next to him.

"Clark, tell me the truth. Did you go and see Lex?"

"Whoa, wait a minute. Lex?" Kara asked, her eyes widening.

"Yeah, he's back." Lois replied, without taking her eyes off her husband. "I'll explain it later Kara. Clark…look at me." He did, but kept his eyes away from hers. "Oh God, you did! Clark what were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that I have to protect the people I love. He's a monster Lois, I don't want him anywhere near you." He said earnestly and the expression on his face nearly floored her. But she was angry at him, he could've walked right into a trap.

"He knows your secret Clark. You could've been walking into anything."

"I scoped the place out first. I was perfectly safe Lois." He breathed in deeply and dropped a kiss on her head. "Don't worry, I'll be keeping an eye on him."

"I'm not worried about him. I'm worried about you." She said, taking his face into her hands. She kissed him lightly on the lips and smiled. He frowned at her, taking in her appearance.

"You still look a little pale Lo."

"It'll pass." She shrugged and dived into the bag he'd brought with him, missing the disbelieving look he gave her.

"Well I picked up some things. I thought you might be hungry. And I got you some of your favourite coffee," He said, sliding the cup down the table to her. She grinned at him and took off the lid.

As soon as she'd inhaled the usually pleasant aroma, she knew it had been a mistake. Her stomach started flip flopping again and this time, she didn't have time to make it upstairs. She only barely had enough time to reach the sink.

"How much did she drink last night?" Kara asked Clark.

He grimaced as he watched Lois. "A lot."


	9. Chapter 8

_**Chapter Eight**_

"So what was it you wanted to talk to me about?" Clark asked Kara as they walked into the loft in his barn later that morning, leaving Lois alone to get some rest. She wasn't feeling as sick but she was tired from not having much sleep the night before so Clark had suggested she take a nap and he would wake her for dinner.

"Well it's a little weird for me. I don't know much about human traditions…" She said nervously. He took a step towards her and smiled.

"What is it?"

"Well…I was thinking. I know that my wedding is quite a long way away but I need to start getting it all planned. Lois has been a big help so far but there was one thing I wanted to ask you…"

"Me?"

"Yeah. I know that it's customary to have your father give you away at the altar, but since mine isn't here…" She trailed off, her expression a mixture of anger and sorrow and Clark felt bad for her.

Finding out that your own father betrayed his brother and subsequently tried to take over Earth with his brother's wife had to have some kind of negative effect. In a lot of ways he saw the young naïve Kryptonian girl he had met, but in so many others, he saw a strong confidant woman who had found a place to belong in this world.

"I was wondering if…I mean it would really mean a lot to me if…" She sighed and started wringing her hands together. "Would you give me away?"

"Oh Kara…" Clark grabbed her shoulders and smiled brightly. "I would be honoured." She smiled, relieved, and then wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.

"Thank you Clark." He pulled back and nodded at her, then went to stand over by the open window.

"You weren't nervous about asking me were you?"

"No, not really. It's just that I well, it still feels a little strange to me that's all. I mean, I'm getting married you know? Who would've thought? And plus I know that this isn't the best time for you."

"Kara, I always have time for you. And I'm glad that you asked me, it means a lot to me." He kissed her on the cheek and turned back to the window.

"I'm so happy for you Kara…" Clark said, eliciting a small chuckle from his cousin.  
"What?"

"Nothing, it's just. Well, weren't you the one who warned me away from him last year? Said he couldn't be trusted, that he was a womanizer." She said, playfully.

"Well that was then…Oliver's changed since he met you. He's a different person now. Back then I think that he was in a very dark place, I don't know what happened, we never really talked about it. But I see the difference in him now. He cares about something other than himself and I know that he loves you deeply. He would never hurt you."

"I know that. He means the world to me. Just like Lois does to you." She smiled, bumping shoulders with him.

"Clark?"

"Hmm?" He asked, staring out at the cloudless sky. It was a gorgeously warm day in Smallville and the sun always left him feeling energised and happy. But even now, he could feel the shadows threatening to take over, the fear and apprehension just waiting for the right moment, for him to be alone.

"Is something wrong?" .

"No, not really."

"You're still worried about Lex." She said, it wasn't a question, it was statement. He turned to her, unsure of what to say.

"It's just…I don't know what to do about him Kara. He's a big threat, not only to me, but to everyone and everything I care about."

"I can understand that but Clark, you can't let his return turn your life upside down. You have a great life now, don't let him ruin it anymore. Chances are he may not do anything, he might simply be here to do what he said but…you need to let the past go and focus on your life now."

"Okay, yeah you're right. But I'm still going to keep a very close eye on him." Kara chuckled.

"I wouldn't expect anything less of you. But you can rest assured that I will always have your back when it comes to Lex Luthor."

"Thanks Kara."

"No problem, I'd better get going. I'll call you later okay?" He nodded as she hugged him and then watched her fly out the window and up into the bright sun drenched sky.

* * *

He stayed in the barn for a little while, catching up on the chores he'd been neglecting lately and made his way back to the house a few hours later. When he got inside, he went upstairs to check on Lois, she was still fast asleep. The room was fairly dark due to the curtains being closed but he could still make out her sleeping form and that of Shelby, who was lying on the bed next to her.

He crossed the room and sat down on the edge of the bed, gently so as not to wake her. He watched her for a few minutes, listening to her breathing. He hoped that she felt better when she woke up, he didn't like seeing her sick, she liked it even less. Not because of being ill, but because, he suspected, she didn't want to appear weak to him. Which he thought was ridiculous. But that was his Lois. Never the damsel in distress, always kicking ass.

He reached over and brushed some hair away from her face before placing a light kiss on her forehead. Shelby raised his head as Clark stood over her, his sleepy eyes questioning what Clark was up to. He had become strangely protective of Lois lately, he never left her side when she was here, which brought great joy to Lois as she sneezed to no end. He reached down and rubbed Shelby's head and walked to the door. He heard the back door open and walked down to investigate.

"Mom!" He said, surprised to see her so soon. She wasn't due to be back for at least another month. She launched herself at her son and hugged him fiercely before kissing his cheek.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were going to be in Washington for the rest of the month." He looked her over, she looked healthy and happy. Her auburn hair now fell in long tresses that reached just past her shoulders and she looked to be in great shape.

"I was…am. This is just a quick visit. I have some free time and I thought, what better way to spend it than with my son and his wife." She stood to the side as Clark brought her suitcase in.

"Well, whatever the reason, I'm so glad you're here. I've really missed you."

"Oh sweetheart, I've missed you too. You have no idea how much. It tends to get a little lonely in Washington." They sat down at the kitchen table.

"I thought you made a lot of friends."

"Oh I have. But I miss my family. I just had to come and see you and…speaking of which, where is my daughter-in-law?" Martha asked, looking around.

"She's in bed."

"Still? At this hour?" Clark chuckled at his mother's shocked response.

"She's actually not feeling so well. She had a very…busy night last night." Martha frowned then raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

"Kara and Oliver's engagement party?" Clark reminded her.

"Oh yes, of course. How did that go?"

"It was great, everyone had such a good time. You really should've been there mom, I've never seen Kara look so happy."

"I know and I did tell her I was sorry I couldn't make it. But I'm here now and I have the next two days with you all so…"

"Is that all I get?" He said, and she laughed at the pout that formed on his face.

"For now honey. But it won't be long until my term's over. Have you and Lois found a place to live in Metropolis yet?" She asked, getting up to put the kettle on.

"Not yet, we've been pretty busy at work and stuff. But we'll get to it soon."

"Well there's no rush. This is your home Clark. Both of you. I wouldn't have it any other way but I do understand that you probably don't want to live with your old mom when you're practically a newlywed." She grinned and pouted so Clark rolled his eyes and smiled.

"It's not like that mom. To be honest, this farm hasn't felt the same since you left."

She quickly made the tea and brought it back over to the table. They sat in silence for a few moments, Clark let his mother take in everything she had been missing for the last few years.

"So where's Shelby?" Martha asked eventually, taking a sip of her tea.

"He's upstairs sleeping with Lois. He's taken quite a shine to her lately." He lifted his mug to his lips and took a long sip, his mom always made the best tea.

"Lois must be so pleased about that." Martha said sarcastically, chuckling at the image of Lois sneezing her way through the house. Clark pursed his lips and shook his head. Martha reached over and patted his hand.

"So come on, what else have I missed besides my niece's engagement party?" Clark smiled, he loved that his mom thought of Kara as her niece. She had accepted her into the Kent family with as much ease and love as she had with him. Not for the first time, Clark realised how truly remarkable Martha Kent really was.

"Uh, not much really. Perry made Lois and I partners at the Planet but he's pushing her for another Superman article." He said, a deep frown forming.

"Well by now I think we all know that Lois does a wonderful job with those articles." Martha replied, proudly but she fell silent when she saw the look on Clark's face.

"What is it honey?" She asked softly, the mothering instincts coming out at once.  
Clark sucked in a deep breath and leaned his elbows on the table.

"Lex is back." He heard Martha inhale sharply at the name.

"What is he doing back in Smallville?"

"He says that he just wants his life back. That he has no interest in revenge but mom, I'm worried. We can't trust him."

"No we can't. But we also can't stop him from coming back here Clark. I guess there's not a lot you can do about it. But sweetheart, please don't go obsessing over this. Forget about him and concentrate on your own life. Everything's going so well, I don't want to see you lose that. I watched you suffer for so many years, feeling so lonely, it killed me to see it. But now look at you. You became a person that the whole world can look up to. You have a loving wife, whom I adore and I know that she makes you happy. So forget about Lex Luthor, he probably does just want his old life back."

Clark knew the words his mom was saying were right, but he had a niggling feeling in the back of his head that this was all going to blow up in his face if he ignored it for too long. But she was right, there really wasn't anything Clark could do about it. So for now, he would just have to get on with his life, but would never forget the threat that was out there. He listened to her wisdom, smiling broadly at her.

"You know, Kara said pretty much the same thing. I guess women really do know best huh?" Martha laughed.

"Well, you're married to Lois, you should know that little pearl of wisdom by now Clark."

"You know sometimes, I still can't believe that she married me. I feel like I'm in a dream and scared that at any moment I'm going to wake up."

"You sound so much like you're father sometimes." Martha said, her voice held a hint of sadness as it always did when she mentioned Jonathan Kent. "He could never really grasp the reasons why I married him. But when you love someone, really love them, you just know that there is no one else on this planet who could be the one to make you feel…complete."

"Yeah, I guess that's the word I would use." He replied, thoughtfully. He took another sip of his tea as Martha beamed at him.

"So does this mean I'm gonna have some grandbabies soon?" Clark spat his tea out all over the table.

"Whoa, whoa! What? Where did that come from?" He said, clearly shocked.

"What's the problem? You don't want to have kids?" She asked, confused by his sudden reaction.

"Mom, I'm an alien! I doubt we could even have any!" He got up and grabbed a cloth to mop up the mess he'd made. Avoiding his mother's penetrating gaze, Clark got to work, allowing his words to sink in and was surprised to find it was a little painful to think of.

"Clark, you don't know that there isn't a chance…"

"Mom, she's human and I'm not. We're not even likely to be compatible, genetically I mean. Besides, even if that were possible, I don't know what would happen to Lois if she had to carry a Kryptonian baby. It could kill her and I won't risk that."

"You sound pretty adamant about this." He didn't reply, but looked up at her and she nodded in understanding. "And Lois is okay with it?" Again no reply, but this time he couldn't meet her gaze.

"Clark? Tell me you talked to her about this." Martha said, warning in her tone. He shrugged and walked over to the sink.

"Oh Clark, how could you marry her knowing that you might never be able to have children? Why didn't you talk to her about it?"

"Because I was scared!" He yelled. "I don't want to lose her mom. I just thought I could cross that bridge when we came to it._ If_ we came to it, I don't know if Lois even wants kids one day. She's never mentioned it." He leaned back against the sink and looked down at the ground. Martha reached out and took his hand in both of hers.

"Listen to me Clark. There are other ways of having children. I couldn't have any, and I was still blessed the day you walked into my life. I love you as much as any other mother has loved their son, biological or not. Have you even talked to Jor-El about the possibility that…?"

"No, it…never came up. Okay look I know I should've told her…but…"

"Clark, there's still plenty of time to discuss this with her. You're both young, you have all the time in the world to think about a family. You've only been married for two months. I'm sorry I didn't mean to scare you." He smiled sadly at his mother.

"No it's okay, trust me, I have often thought about it. But it would just be a complication we don't really need right now mom. I mean what with Lex and everything, I have too many enemies to risk it."

"I understand that honey. But you really should talk to her about this. And soon."


	10. Chapter 9

___**Chapter Nine**_

"Lane!" Lois groaned as the familiar bellowing of her boss sounded out above her head and looked up to see Perry standing over her desk with an aggravated expression on his face. "Where's this article on Superman?"

"I'm working on it." She replied, flatly.

"Well, where's Kent? He's supposed to be your partner now." Lois glanced at Clark's empty desk and sighed.

"He's checking out a lead for me. He'll be back soon chief." Perry stayed silent longer than Lois would've liked and she looked up at him again to see him eyeing her warily.

"Lois are you feeling…?" His question trailed off as he caught sight of the TV in the corner of the room and Lois was grateful that his attention had been diverted.

"Hey you, turn that up." He yelled to a passing employee that Lois didn't even recognise.

"Yes sir." He bumbled his way over to the TV and turned it up.

Never one to miss an opportunity to see her husband in action, Lois stood up and watched in awe as Clark effortlessly lifted a bus full of schoolchildren and placed it carefully back on the bridge it had been about to fall off. One by one the crying children exited the bus, and stopped when they saw the man who had just saved them, standing in front of them with a warm smile.

Lois couldn't hear what he said to the children because of the reporter talking but she saw the way their little faces lit up as he smiled and chatted, easing their distress. Then one little girl, tugged on his cape and he crouched down to listen to her. Lois' heart flipped in her chest as she saw Clark pick up the little girl, who couldn't have been more than six, and float a little off the ground.

She squealed in excitement and then gave him a quick peck on the cheek as he slowly and carefully lowered her down to the ground again. The news media was in a frenzy but Clark handled it with the dignity and grace that Superman always brought to the table and Lois felt her heart swell with pride as she watched him being interviewed.

It was days like this that she found it hard to even conceive that she was married to him. That _she _of all people would get to spend the rest of her life with_ him_.

"Lois!" She snapped back to attention to see Perry frowning at her. "What are you waiting for? Get out there and get me some quotes."

"Right, uh…yeah." Suddenly all of a fluster, Lois grabbed her stuff and stumbled her way out of the bullpen and out into the street. She stopped as she rounded the corner, realising that she had absolutely no idea where she was going. Turning around to head back to the Planet, she collided with something solid and found herself looking up into the narrowed but smiling eyes of Lex Luthor.

"Lois," He said, nodding his head politely at her. She glared before trying to sidestep him but he blocked her path.

"Get out of my way Lex." She growled.

"What's the hurry?"

"Are you following me or something?" He sighed, shaking his head disappointedly at her.

"Lois, Lois, Lois. Is that any way to talk to your next big front page article? Hmm?"

"What?" She asked, thrown off guard for a second as he studied her.

"I had a meeting at the Planet with your boss and he wants you to write the article about my returning to take care of Luthorcorp." He replied, a smug look on his face that Lois was so eager to wipe off.

"You have got to be kidding me. What makes you think I would write anything for you?" She spat.

"Oh come on now Lois, you know this is a big opportunity for you. I mean, writing stories about Superman may get you recognised but technically, it is cheating, since you're married to him and all." Lois leaned in closer to him and looked around, hoping that no one had heard him.

"I don't know what game you're playing here Lex, but I'm warning you. Stay away from me and my husband. I don't want to write your story, I don't want to even see your face. Now if that means I have to spend the rest of my life writing obituaries then so be it. Metropolis was better off with you gone."

"Perhaps. But it doesn't matter, I'm back now. I can't change what happened in the past, I can only move forward. I won't pretend that I don't hate Clark, but I'm not actively pursuing it either."

He took a step forward and grinned. "Come on Lois, where's the witty comeback?"

Lois stared at him, knowing that she should be saying something but no words came to mind. The world seemed to tilt for a second and she pressed a hand to her forehead, instinct telling her to reach out and grab something to stabilise herself.

Unfortunately for her, the nearest steady thing was Lex and he held onto her elbow, watching her curiously as she grabbed his shoulder. As soon as she'd realised what she'd done, she snatched her arm away from his grasp and took a step back, breathing deeply to dispel the sudden dizziness.

"Lois?" She let out a breath of relief as Clark's voice came from behind her. It wasn't that she needed him to rescue her, but with Lex Luthor standing in front of her acting all innocent yet at the same time intimidating, she wanted to be where she felt the safest. In his arms. She turned to Clark, noting the suspicious look on his face as he took in the scene before him.

"Lex, what are you doing here?" He said, trying to sound nonchalant as he snaked a protective arm around his wife's waist, but failing. She leaned against him weakly, letting him support her weight. She didn't see him glance down at her, concern etched on his face, as she continued to stare down Lex.

"I was just telling Lois that she has been selected to write an article about my return to Metropolis and to Luthorcorp. I'm sure after reading all the Superman articles she's written, that she will do it justice."

Lois felt a growl rumble in Clark's chest and knew that she had to do something to diffuse this situation before it got out of hand in the middle of the busy street. People were already looking at them.

"And I told you I'm not interested." She said.

Lex shrugged and smiled. "Your loss Lois…but I was looking forward to you doing it."

Clark leaned forward slightly, keeping his voice low as he spoke, but Lois could hear the threat in his tone.

"I thought I told you to stay away from her."

"I thought it was Superman who told me that." Lex said, feigning confusion. "Besides, do you own the planet now Clark? I can go wherever I please and if Lois happens to be in the vicinity, then that's just too bad."

Lois placed a hand on Clark's chest, silently telling him to back down. This wasn't the place for a confrontation. He took a step back, but kept his eyes glued to Lex as he started to move past them.

"Well, I'm sure I'll be seeing you around. Lois," He said with a nod. "Nice seeing you again. Oh and by the way Clark…?"

"What?" He growled.

Lex chuckled. "Nice glasses."

"What the hell was that all about?" Clark asked once he was out of sight and Lois could hear the almost accusatory tone in his voice.

"He's just trying to get to you Clark, and you're letting him." She replied, and with the dizziness now fading, she walked back towards the Planet with Clark following closely behind. He grabbed her arm as she reached for the door and spun her around to face him.

"Lois, why were you even talking to him?" His face bore an expression that she couldn't quite figure out. He looked…angry.

Lois rolled her eyes and gave him an incredulous look. "I wasn't having a conversation with him Clark. I was trying to get away from him."

"You didn't appear to be trying very hard." Clark murmured under his breath.

"Excuse me? Care to repeat that?"

Clark stared hard at her. "I don't want you anywhere near him."

"Look Clark, I get that you're angry at him. I understand that, but don't accuse me of something I haven't done." She said, her voice now starting to rise as the irritation built within her.

"And don't tell me what to do!" Why was he acting like this? She hadn't done anything wrong? Was it only based on fear, or was there more to it than he was letting on?

"I wasn't accusing you." He replied, his tone matching hers. "But how am I supposed to react when I turn up to see you leaning on him? As if that isn't bad enough, he was actually _holding onto you_"

"I don't need this right now." She said, storming in through the Planet's doors. She made it halfway down the stairs before he caught up to her.

"Lois…" She carried on walking, her emotions getting the better of her as she felt tears build in her eyes and she inwardly cursed herself for letting his words affect her. What did he really think had happened? And more importantly, why was it bothering her so much?

"Lois…wait." He stopped her again with a hand on her arm but this time she didn't turn to face him. "I wasn't accusing you of anything, I'm sorry." He sounded genuine enough but Lois was unable to reply, fearing that her voice would betray her. She took a deep calming breath and blew it out.

"I have to get back to work Clark. We can talk about this later." She said, dismissively and walked off, intending to give Perry White a piece of her mind. She made her way to his office, surprised and a little shocked that Clark hadn't tried to follow her, and burst right in.

"Dammit Lois! Haven't you ever heard of knocking?" Perry yelled as he began mopping up the coffee that her arrival had caused him to spill over his desk.

"What's this I hear about Luthor wanting me to write an article on him?" She huffed, crossing her arms in front of her. He held up his hands in a placating manner.

"Now Lois, don't go getting…"

"Don't you 'now Lois' me Perry. Why didn't you tell me about this earlier?"

"I didn't think I had to. He asked me if you would write the article and I said no."

Lois did a double take as his words sunk in. "You what?"

"I told him no. But he was adamant that he wanted you to do it. Look Lois, I know that we don't exactly see eye to eye all the time, in fact sometimes you're a real pain in my…" He trailed off as she raised her eyebrows at him, daring him to finish that statement. "Yes well, anyway, there's no way I would let you get mixed up with the likes of Lex Luthor. He's a snake."

"You don't have to tell me that boss, I know exactly who Lex Luthor is. And what he's capable of." She plonked herself down into the nearest chair and held her head in her hands.

"Lois…" Perry narrowed his eyes suspiciously as he watched her. "Are you okay? You've been more than a little grumpy today. Well more than usual anyway. Is something wrong?"

She raised her head and looked at the man who, for all intents and purposes, had become almost a father figure for her over the past year.

"Everything's fine, I'm just a little tired that's all." Perry gave her a disbelieving look but didn't push the subject.

"Okay so, what are you doing back here? I thought you were heading out to get some quotes."

"I was, but I ran into Lex outside and I just needed a few minutes to regroup. I just really wanted to punch him, which of course, wouldn't look good for the Planet if I got arrested again." She said, remembering back to the time that Tess had suspended her simply because she had been defending herself.

Perry chuckled. "Lois, I couldn't care less if you hit him. But I wouldn't advise it, he'd have you behind bars quicker than you can blink."

"I know." The air fell silent between them for a moment as neither knew what to say next.

"Well, I guess it's time I got back to work." Lois stood and walked to the door.

"Lois,"

"Yeah?" She paused, her hand resting on the door knob.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

Lois rolled her eyes and grinned. "Stop fussing Perry, you're starting to sound like my father."

"Just watching out for my best reporter." He said, smiling.

When she got back to her desk, she was a little surprised to see Clark's still empty. Everything was as it had been before she'd left, so where was he now? She grunted as she slammed her belongings back down on her desk. That man could be so infuriating sometimes. Just when she thought she finally had him figured out, he did something else that threw her off guard.

She jumped as she felt two strong arms encircle her waist from behind and couldn't help the smile that formed from the gesture.

He leaned in close and spoke low in her ear.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I said. But seeing you talking to him scares me Lo…he's taking too much of interest in you when he never gave you the time of day before. I just don't want anything to happen to you. I love you too much." She leaned back against him and placed her head on his shoulder as he kissed her temple.

"Trust me Smallville, I have no intention of inviting the wolf in okay? Please stop worrying so much though, I can take care of myself you know."

"I know." He tightened his arms around her, holding her in his protective embrace. "It's just…" He trailed off and she nudged him with her elbow.

"What?" She pressed.

"It's just that I feel like I'm living on the edge of a knife right now. I can't relax Lois, not when at any moment, I could be exposed. I'm not worried about me, but if everyone found out who I really am, it would be bad for you and everyone that I care about." She turned in his arms, resting her hands on his chest, and kissed him lovingly on the lips.

"Clark, there's nothing you can do about that. If it happens…well I guess we deal with it…together."

It took a few moments but eventually, a small smile appeared and he gazed at her with such love in his eyes. Again she felt tears prickling at her eyes, but this time the cause of them was different. What on earth was going on with her? She was never usually this emotional unless it was that time of the month.

Then, out of nowhere a thought hit her. She quickly crossed to her desk, ignoring Clark's frown and flicked through her calendar. As she reached the date she wanted she quickly did a mental calculation and…_Oh crap!_

"Lo? You okay?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, I just remembered I'm supposed to meet this source and I'm actually pretty late." She stood and quickly gathered her things again. Clark stood behind her with his hands in his pockets, looking a little confused.

"Where are you meeting him?"

"Her, actually. Don't worry, it's not dangerous." She said, trying to think quickly.

"You don't want me to come with you?" He asked, and the puppy dog eyes he gave her, nearly floored her. Damn she hated when he did that and the glasses he wore made it no less effective. She was sure that he knew what affect it had on her too.

"Not this time Smallville. Women's stuff, you know. See you later." She reached up and kissed him quickly, afraid to linger too long in case he picked up on her behaviour, and bolted for the door.

Clark watched as she left, his x-ray vision trained on the elevator as she made her way up and out onto the street.

"Well, that was weird." He said to himself as he went back to work.


	11. Chapter 10

_**Chapter Ten**_

"Ollie! Stop!" Kara yelled, fighting to control the giggles as he attacked her sensitive spots with gusto. He continued tickling her as she gave in and started laughing so hard that both of them collapsed onto the bed in their new penthouse apartment. Oliver had bought it as an engagement present for her and even though she told him that she didn't need anything extravagant and she was happy to live anywhere as long as she was with him, she loved it so much.

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he leaned his head down and kissed her passionately. She had never felt anything like it before, her love for this man was overpowering and even a little scary at times.

He pulled back, leaning over her on one elbow and let his fingers trail through her mass of blonde curls.

"I love you." He whispered.

"I love you too." She said softly, kissing him back. "So…" She started, running her hands over his torso. She just couldn't get enough of that feeling. "Are you going to tell me what's been bothering you all morning? Not that this isn't a happy distraction, but I know something's wrong." All at once, the sexy, seductive expression was gone, and was quickly replaced with a guarded look.

"What makes you think something's bothering me?" He asked, sitting up. She pulled herself up and eyed him carefully. She had the nagging suspiscion he was lying to her about something, but she couldn't think what it could possibly be.

"Ollie, come on, this is me you're talking to remember? I know you, and I know when something's not right. Just tell me."

"It's nothing Kara. Just drop it please?" He said, getting up to walk over to the large windows that offered a wonderful bird's eye view of the city.

One of the reasons Kara loved this place so much was the balcony, it was huge and the perfect place for her to fly off if she should need to in a hurry. She sat on the edge of the bed, watching his back. He looked tense, something was definitely on his mind and she didn't know how to feel about the fact that he wouldn't tell her.

It had been over a year since they started dating and in that time, she felt she had grown to know him as well as she knew herself. But there was a part of himself that she felt he kept hidden from her. And that worried her.

"Why won't you talk to me?" She walked over to him and took his hand in hers. "Ollie, we're getting married, that means we're going to be husband and wife. So no secrets, please?"

Oliver took in a deep breath and she felt him shudder with the force of it. Whatever it was, was obviously something big.

"I can't tell you this Kara. Just trust me on this one." He said, cupping her cheek "I would never do anything to hurt you. You know that right?"

"I know that Ollie but you can't expect me to let this go. If you're keeping something from me, I want to know what it is." She stared deeply into his green/blue eyes, hoping for any signs that he would relent. There was nothing.

"I know, and I will tell you everything. Just not now. I have to get to a meeting. Can we talk about this later?" She sighed but nodded.

"I guess so."

"Thank you." He leaned in and kissed her softly, wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her in closely. "I promise I'll tell you tonight." He said, a sad frown marking his handsome features.

"Whatever it is, can't be that bad." She said. He gave her an incredulous look and turned away, grabbing his suitcase.

"I'll see you later babe." He said, but it sounded more like a question. She nodded and smiled at him.

"I'll be here."

* * *

Lois sat on the edge of her bed, breathing in deeply with her eyes closed. She had driven back to Smallville, calling Clark twice along the way to stop him coming to look for her. He'd asked plenty of questions and she suspected that he hadn't believed the answers she had given him but he hadn't pushed it.

Maybe he thought she needed to be by herself and she was grateful to him for that. He always knew when to back off and let her be, just as she instinctively knew when he needed time to himself. And she just really needed to be alone right now.

The house was virtually silent but for the sounds of the farm animals in the distance. Martha had left early that morning to return to Washington with a promise that she would be back soon and had made Lois swear to call her if anything happened. Lois groaned, dropping her head into her hands.

Did Martha know? If so, how was that possible when she didn't even know herself? She could be wrong and this would turn out to be nothing. She hoped that was the case. But as she thought about everything in detail, she knew that it was more than possible. As she sat there, she found herself analyzing everything that had happened over the last two weeks.

She had been tired a lot lately, she had been feeling nauseas, throwing up and even though she had put that down to the champagne at Kara's engagement party, she knew that something else had been the cause. She felt the bed dip next to her and opened her eyes to see Shelby sitting beside her, panting in her face.

She stared at him for a moment, preparing for the inevitable sneeze that his presence always created but nothing came. She felt fine. Her nose wasn't tickling as it usually did and her eyes weren't watering. _Okay, that's weird_.

He was definitely acting strange lately, he never left her side and had even tried to place himself between her and Clark in bed last night. Clark of course, was having none of that, and had taken him downstairs to sleep on the sofa in an effort to placate him.

"Hey Shelbs…" She said, rubbing his head softly. He whined a little and moved closer to her, laying down to rest his head on her lap. She let the soft golden brown fur slip through her fingers as she waited impatiently.

"What is going on here Shelby, huh?" She asked, speaking more to herself than to him.

This seemed to be the longest two minutes of her life. The little white stick sat on the desk in the corner of the room, with a little egg timer placed next to it that still had a minute left to go. Shelby whined again and nudged his nose against her stomach lightly, as if he knew something she didn't and it set alarm bells going off in her head.

"Oh Shelby, no! Oh man, this is not going well. How can I be pregnant? We were careful! And Clark's not even human! I mean…it's not possible is it? He said that himself. How could it…how?" She said, getting up and pacing around the room. Shelby followed her every move with his eyes.

She stopped as the timer went off, the loud ringing signalling that it was time. She was frozen, she couldn't move towards it. Fear and panic rose in her throat as she stared at it. Then out of nowhere, the sound of her cell phone startled her and she picked it up to see she had a text message from Clark. He was checking to see if she was okay. She set the phone back down, unable to think about him right now.

"Okay Shelby, let's do this." She said determinedly, and made her way over to the desk. She squeezed her eyes shut as she picked it up, slowly peeking out of one to look at it. She felt the colour drain from her cheeks and she sank to the floor, clutching her knees to her chest as she rocked back and forth. Shelby jumped off the bed and came to sit beside her, laying his head on her shoulder.

"Oh God. I'm pregnant. Me…I'm…pregnant. But how?" She frowned, trying to make her brain come up with some answers. None came.

Obviously it was possible for Clark to create a life with her after all. She should be happy, if she was honest with herself, she had thought about having a family with him for a long time. But she never really let herself believe that it was even a possibility. That seemed like a dream that could never become a reality. And she knew that she wasn't exactly mother material, she just didn't have those instincts in her.

But now…she didn't know how to feel. She was pregnant. How could she not have picked up on this sooner? All the signs had been there. She had no idea where to go from here. How was she supposed to tell Clark that he was going to be a father when he was so wrapped up in worrying over Lex? And even though she didn't want to admit it, she feared what his reaction would be.

Since overhearing his conversation with Martha yesterday, she knew that this would not be something he wanted yet. If ever. Her hopes had fallen with each word he had spoken. He thought it would be a mistake to have a baby. She knew that he was worried about her, especially with Lex being around and that was why she hadn't brought the subject up. She was waiting for him to tell her.

She should've been angry that he hadn't confided that information in her before they were married but now…well, it all seemed a little pointless to be angry about that. But she couldn't not tell him about this. How long did she really think she could keep something like this from him anyway?

She sighed and stood up, walking into the bathroom to splash some cold water on her face. She stared at her reflection for a moment and then turned sideways, lifting her shirt up. Of course nothing was different, well almost nothing. How did she not notice that before? Her waist looked a little thicker but not significantly noticeable. But somehow, she felt different.

There was now a tiny little life growing inside her. A life that she had created with the man she loved, her husband, and as much as she was scared, she couldn't help but feel a tiny bit happy too.

She laid a very shaky hand on her flat stomach and smiled tentatively. "Hey there baby, well…you're one heck of a surprise I can tell you that. But it's going to be okay. I'll figure something out I promise."

A noise outside brought her out of her reverie and she quickly gathered everything up, putting the test into her pocket to dispose of later and then headed downstairs. Thinking maybe it was Clark coming to check up on her, she panicked, she wasn't ready to see him yet. She needed more time to get her own head around this before she told him.

This was a big deal and it wasn't going to go away. She had to deal with this, and the sooner the better. She sighed in relief when she heard a knock on the back door. Clark wouldn't knock. And as she saw the tall, dark haired delivery man standing outside the door, she let herself relax a little.

"Mrs Lane?" He asked as she opened the door.

"Lane-Kent." She corrected.

He held out a package for her and a clipboard. She signed her name and closed the door behind her, glancing down at the brown envelope that seemed pretty heavy to simply be a letter. Her curiosity got the better of her as she sat down on the sofa in the living room and she ripped it open to find a laptop.

There was no accompanying letter or note. Frowning, she opened it up and saw a post it note attached that simply read: PLAY. She pressed it and watched as the screen came to life. She couldn't make out what was happening until she heard a familiar voice.

"Clark, that much kryptonite could take out half the city." She saw Clark's face come into view, a glowing green aura around him as he stumbled back in pain.

Then another voice, darker, more malevolent, said. "Clark Kent and Lana Lang." Lois froze. _Lana_? She turned the volume up a little and listened closely.

"Welcome to your destiny. You've destroyed me in every way. So now, I'm going to take away what matters most to you." The picture zoomed in closely and Lois gasped as she realised what she was looking at.

She had known that Lana had stolen a power suit from Lex and had left town, but she was now afraid that she was about to see why. Lana's face filled the screen. "Lex."

Lois blinked a few times, her mind desperately trying to catch up with her eyes and ears as she heard Lex talking about star crossed lovers and what people remember about them.

"The skin Lana's wearing was designed to absorb enough meteor rock that you will never be able to go near her again." Lex said.

Lois paused the player, and slammed it down on the table in front of her. She didn't want to hear any more. Her heart was racing so fast she could feel it in her ears but stupidly, she found herself needing to know what happened next. How it all played out. She reached out and pressed play again, watching Clark's face closely as he challenged Lex to come out and face them. _Them_. A team. Clark and Lana.

"No Clark. It's time for you to face your defining moment. You can walk away, and sacrifice the lives of innocent people to stay together. Or diffuse the bomb and sacrifice your love…forever."

Lois watched as Lana turned to Clark. His face was full of anguish but he seemed to be making the decision. Eventually Lois heard him say. "You have to."

Her gut churned as she watched Lana reach up and touch his face before kissing him. It was a kiss full of pain, of suffering. A goodbye. Lois felt the tears fall as she watched Clark let Lana go, as he took a step forward time and time again, only to take another one back. The look on his face scared her. And as she watched, Lana absorbed the kryptonite and fell to the ground. Clark tried but couldn't get near her. She was poison to him now.

Lois turned it off and threw it across the room, sending it flying through the window. Everything he had told her had been a lie. They were forced apart. He hadn't wanted to let her go. She closed her eyes, but the look on his face wouldn't leave her mind.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, a little voice tried to reason with her, to make her see sense and tell her that Clark loved her. But she didn't listen, she couldn't see past the anger she was feeling right now. She picked up her cell phone and dialled with trembling fingers.

"Kara! It's Lois. Can you get over here right away? I need to talk to you." She hung up and waited, glancing at the broken window that she had thrown the player out of. Shelby came trotting in to see what all the commotion was about but she ignored him as Kara appeared in the doorway.

"What is it? Lois, are you okay?" Kara asked, her eyes taking in the broken glass around her and Lois' expression.

"No I'm not! I need to get out of here Kara. Right now. Can you take me somewhere?" Kara looked at her suspiciously as Lois began gathering some of her things.

"Lois what happened?"

"I can't…I just need…" She stammered, too angry to even talk. "Please Kara, I'm asking you as my friend. Help me."

"Does Clark know about this?"

"I don't want him to know anything. If he asks you where I am, do not tell him. I will contact him in my own time. But right now, I don't even want to look at him."

"Lois…" Kara spoke softly, trying to calm her but it didn't work. Nothing would at that moment. She just really needed to get away from here. Kara pursed her lips and looked at Lois indecisively, the confusion still evident in her gaze. Lois grunted in frustration and fetched the laptop from outside.

"Sit down." Lois said bluntly, setting the player up on the table in front of her. Kara's narrowed eyes widened as she watched the same scene that Lois had and when she was finished, she walked into the kitchen, where Lois had gone. She couldn't bear to watch it a second time.

"I don't really know what to say Lo…"

"Do you think I'm over reacting?" Lois asked, folding her arms across her chest.

"I don't know. You know that Clark loves you Lois…"

"I know that, but he lied to me Kara. I just…I need some space for a little while to sort my head out." Lois quickly filled a bowl full of water and put some food out for Shelby and turned back to Kara.

"You ready?"

Kara nodded and lifted her into her arms. As she flew away from the house, Lois could still feel the tears stinging her eyes. She may be over reacting, she knew that. But at that moment, she couldn't bring herself to care.


	12. Chapter 11

_**Chapter Eleven**_

Clark sat tapping away at his keyboard in frustration as he stole little glances at his cell phone. Lois hadn't replied to any of his text messages and now she wasn't answering his calls. She couldn't still be mad at him surely? He had said he was sorry and she seemed to have accepted his apology. But she had been acting very strange when she'd left. Come to think of it, she'd been acting strange for the past few days.

He knew his reaction earlier had been born out of fear but he regretted yelling at Lois, she hadn't deserved that. Deciding to try one last time to reach her, he picked it up and pressed speed dial one. This time it didn't even ring before it went straight to voicemail, which meant she'd either turned it off, or it had been turned off for her. He slammed it back down again, feeling the plastic crack in his grip. He grimaced, great, just what he needed, another one broken.

Glancing around to see if anyone had noticed, and satisfied that they hadn't, he put it back in his jacket pocket and stood up. He knew that she wanted to be by herself for a little while but he had to go and check on her. His mind was coming up with all sorts of scenarios and none of them were pleasant. She could be hurt, kidnapped or worse. She was Lois Lane after all, trouble followed her around like a bad smell. He made his way to the elevator and stopped when he heard Jimmy behind him.

"Hey CK, what's up?" He smiled brightly, flicking through some pictures on his camera. "Have you seen Lois? She wanted to take a look at some photos I got."

"No I haven't seen her all afternoon." He replied, distractedly tapping the call button on the elevator.

Jimmy frowned as he looked up, noting the tension in Clark's shoulders. "Is everything okay?"

"I'm not sure. I haven't heard from her and she usually always replies to my texts. We uh…we had a bit of an argument earlier."

"When aren't you two arguing?" Jimmy said, earning him a glare from Clark. "It's what you do, you're Clark and Lois. Chloe says it's like your own personal brand of foreplay." Clark felt his cheeks heat up as Jimmy laughed.

"Well, be that as it may, I have to go and find her. I need to make sure she's okay. Can you cover for me with Perry? I don't have time for his questions right now."

"Uh, sure CK." Jimmy replied, looking slightly apprehensive. He was always a little nervous around Perry. That was something Perry found to be quite amusing and always used it to his advantage. "I'm sure she's fine though Clark, you would've…_heard_…by now if she wasn't." He said, offering him a reassuring smile.

"Thanks Jimmy. I appreciate this, I'll catch you later." Clark smiled at him, but it felt forced. He felt a strange sense of foreboding, as if something was very wrong but he had no idea what. He just hoped that Lois was okay. He knew that she was still feeling a little ill after the heavy weekend she'd had but he wondered if there was something else that was bothering her. She just didn't seem like herself lately.

After deciding the elevator was taking too long to reach him, he raced up the stairs and into the lobby.  
He greeted people politely as they said their hello's then walked out of the large revolving doors and into the busy street. Spotting an alley, he ducked into it, swiftly changed into his Superman gear and took off to the skies.

* * *

After answering a few cries for help along the way, Clark finally landed on the front porch of his house and quickly changed into his regular clothes. He never took any chances when around his home. You never knew who was watching from afar. He walked into the kitchen and stopped dead in his tracks as he noticed the broken window.

"Lois?" He called, walking further into the living room. No reply came, only the sound of Shelby's paws as they padded against the hardwood floor in the kitchen. He sat down next to Clark's feet and whined, looking up at him with sad eyes.

"Hey boy, what's wrong with you huh?" Clark asked, bending down to stroke his head. As Clark surveyed the surroundings, feeling the panic rise in his gut as he took in the glass on the floor, a strong gust of wind blew through the house.

"Clark!" Kara said and he turned to see her looking at him with an expression he couldn't quite recognise. "What are you doing here?"

Clark's brows drew together, puzzled. "What am I doing here? I live here. What are you doing here and where's Lois?"

He watched as she shifted nervously, clearly something had happened here and it wasn't something good.

"Kara, if you know where she is, tell me. Is she okay?"

"I would say…no, she's not okay Clark." She replied, and for the first time, Clark noticed the hint of acid in her tone. Was she angry with him? What on earth had he done wrong?

"What happened?" He asked, feeling the panic rising further, and tried to get a grip on it. Kara reached into her back pocket and took out an envelope.

"Here, she wanted me to give you this."

Clark took it and frowned. "What's this?" Why would Lois be writing him a letter? He opened it with unsteady hands and started reading.

_Clark_, No Smallville, he noticed.

_I really hate to tell you like this, but I have to leave town for a few days. I just need to be on my own for a while. Please, don't come looking for me. I'm not anywhere I want to be found. I can't see you for a while, not until, I get my head sorted. I know you are unaware of why I am writing this, but Kara will explain and once you do know…well…let's just say you'll get the picture.  
I just can't stay in Smallville knowing what I know. Please understand and don't get mad at Kara. She's only doing what I asked her to do. _

"What is this?" Clark asked, anger starting to edge its way in.

"Just read it Clark." Was all Kara would say. He sank down onto the sofa as he read the rest of the letter. He was so confused, what was going on?

_Everything I thought I knew, has been turned on it's head. I don't know what to believe anymore and until I can figure that out, I don't want to be around…Smallville._

Clark gasped, did she mean Smallville as in the town, or him?

_I don't really know what else to say…except that, I guess this was always coming, I just didn't expect something like that. I need space, away…from you. For now at least.  
Goodbye Clark._

"Kara! What the hell is going on?" Clark yelled, standing up to confront his cousin who was still standing in the doorway. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"I'll tell you what's going on Kal-El!" She yelled back and he knew that she was really angry at him now. She only ever resorted to calling him Kal-El when she lost her composure and went back to her Kryptonian roots. "Lois is devastated. She found out what happened between you and Lana…"

"What are you talking about? Where is she?"

Kara folded her arms in front of her. "I'm sworn to secrecy."

"Damn it Kara, she's my wife. I have a right to know where she is! And what do you mean, what happened between me and Lana?" Clark asked, very confused now. His head was still reeling from the letter. She sounded angry in it, there was no trace of any affection for him. No 'I love you' or 'Love Lois' at the end of it. What on earth had happened here?

"Your last encounter with Lana, Clark. Daily Planet rooftop? Bomb made of Kryptonite? Any of this ringing any bells?" She said, her tone still frosty. Clark shook his head as he thought, and then it hit him. Lex's sick scheme, their final goodbye, but how had Lois found out about that?

"You wanna know?" Kara asked, as if reading his thoughts.

"Here," She pushed the small dvd player towards him and pressed play. "Take a look. Look at what Lois saw Clark, and imagine how she felt after seeing the pain on both your faces."

Clark watched, stunned as the scene played before him. Lois had seen this. She had seen, heard and witnessed everything that had happened. He felt a sharp pain in his chest as he thought of how she must've been feeling. He saw his face as Lana leaned in to kiss him, it seemed like a lifetime ago.

The pain that was so evident in his face, was a distant memory to him now, but it must have been like a knife to Lois' heart. He brought his fist down hard, not wanting to see any more, smashing the player into tiny pieces and sank down onto a chair at the kitchen table as realisation set in.

"She doesn't really think that…" He trailed off, his voice breaking.

"She thinks that she's the one you _settled_ for because the love of your life was ripped away from you."

"But that's not…how can she…?" He said, struggling to find the right words.

"You don't understand do you? How could you not tell her about this before you got married? Don't you see that by not telling her, you've made it seem so much worse than it had to be?" Kara said, her tone a little softer now as he turned to face her.

"I wasn't keeping anything from her. I didn't tell her because that's not who I am now. I moved on a long time ago. She has to know that I only love her." He said, his eyes pleading with hers.

"She knows you love her Clark, she does. But she just doesn't know if she's the one you wanted, or if she's the consolation prize."

Clark drew in a deep, painful breath. "She could never be that. I love her Kara."

"I know that." She replied, then fell silent as she didn't know what else to say to him.

"She's leaving me?" He whispered. He still couldn't take all this in. This morning, everything had been fine. They were happy, things had been going great in the two months since they got married. Life had never been better. But now, it was all falling apart. Again. Why wasn't he allowed to just be happy?

Kara sat down next to him and placed a hand on his arm.

"I don't think even she knows what she wants right now Clark. She's pretty upset. Just give her a few days to come around, I'm sure this will blow over. But you have some major explaining to do to her."

"Tell me where she is Kara. Please?"

"I can't Clark. I promised her. I love you but I also love Lois. She's like a sister to me, I've never had someone who I could be that close to. I can't betray her trust."

"I understand that Kara but this is my marriage we're talking about. I need to see her."

"Clark…" Kara hesitated, looking as if she were afraid to tell him the next words. "She doesn't want you to find her. She asked me not to tell you where she is." There was a loud snap as the edge of the table crumbled beneath Clark's grip.

"I can't believe this! You're telling me that I can't see my own wife!" He yelled in frustration. He got up and paced around the kitchen. Running both hands through his hair, his eyes fell on the broken dvd player and he felt the anger begin to seep back in again.

"Someone wanted her to see that. Someone wanted to tear us apart." He said, speaking in a quiet, low voice. He turned back to Kara and stared hard at her. "Lex."

"You can't go after him Clark. Not like this."

"Don't you see what he's doing Kara? He's trying to destroy me. He did it with Lana and now he's doing it with Lois. Well, this time he's not getting away with it. I WILL NOT let him take her away from me! Not Lois!" He yelled angrily, his fists bunched up tightly by his sides.

"Clark, if you go after him, then that only tells Lois that you would rather blame him for something that you yourself should've told her, instead of taking responsibility for it yourself."

As much as he hated to admit it, she was right. Superman was better than that. He stood for more than revenge. But it didn't stop him from wanting to hurt Lex. The man was determined to ruin Clark's life. That day, on the roof of the Daily Planet, the day he'd thought his world had ended, was just a distant memory to him now. What he'd had with Lana, paled in comparison to what he had now with Lois.

"He can't get away with this Kara." He said, his anger starting to fade just a little, leaving only the pain of knowing he was losing his wife behind. Kara drew him in for a hug and then walked to the door. Turning around, she smirked knowingly.

"Oh don't worry Clark. He won't." And then she was gone.

* * *

Lex sat in his study, leaning back in his chair, relaxing with a brandy next to him and some classical music playing to soothe his nerves. It had been a hectic afternoon. With meeting after meeting and endless phone calls to investors, he had managed to regain a sizeable portion of Luthorcorp.

But he still needed his shares back from Oliver to regain complete control. He knew that Oliver wouldn't just hand them over and there was no way he would sell them back to him either. It grated on every nerve Lex had that Oliver Queen now sat in the same office that had been his a long time ago.

He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, the headache that had been plaguing him all day was getting worse. He still wasn't at a hundred percent and he had been pushing himself harder than he knew he should. But he knew that, once he had his business back where it belonged, it would be worth it in the end.

"Lex Luthor." Lex let out a tired sigh and opened his eyes. Kara was standing in his doorway looking as breathtaking as he remembered her.

"Kara. What brings you here?" He asked politely. She smiled as she walked into the room slowly. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you managed to get past my security."

"You really should hire better staff Lex." She said, sitting down in front of his desk. She crossed her legs and folded her arms, regarding him thoughtfully.

"I'll bear that in mind."

"So…you know why I'm here." She stated.

"No but I'm sure you're about to tell me." He said, knowing, but not really caring what her reasons were.

"You know Lex. The dvd, why did you do it?"

"What dvd are you referring to exactly?" He asked, his patience starting to wear thin as he leaned forward, placing his hands on the glass desk in front of him.

"I had to stop Clark coming here to rip your head off. Maybe I should've let him do it. It's certainly no less than you deserve." Her calm demeanour was starting to slip, revealing the anger underneath. "How could you do that to Lois? She has never done anything to you."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Kara scoffed. "Sure you don't. Well how about I refresh your memory? You sent Lois a dvd containing footage of when you planted a bomb on the roof of the Daily Planet. Footage of the pain that you put Clark and Lana through."

"Ah well, I can't take the credit for that. I had nothing to do with it. But that was a long time ago Kara, they deserved everything they got. If Lana wasn't so obsessed with becoming the perfect girlfriend, they would've been able to stay together. Or maybe not, seeing as how Clark moved on so fast."

"You may have torn them apart Lex, but you're gonna have to try a lot harder with Lois and Clark. They're stronger than that. You can't touch them."

"Is that so?" He smirked. Kara was a terrible liar, he knew that from previous experience. There was obviously something wrong if she had come here to confront him.

"You know I find this awfully interesting. That you're here defending him when you should be worried about your own love life." She didn't say anything, but Lex noticed the tiny flinch in her eyes. He had finally hit a nerve with the seemingly calm and patient Kara Kent.

"Meaning?" She asked.

"The funny thing about secrets Kara, is that they always, always have a way of coming out eventually. I'm not going to sit here be held responsible for the things that Clark has kept hidden from Lois. Nor will I be to blame when you find out that you're precious fiancé is nothing short of a murderer."

"You seriously have lost it haven't you? Oliver has never killed anyone." Kara defended.

"Maybe, but the intent was there. You see Kara, he was the one responsible for the explosion of the truck I was sitting in. Well, as you can see, I clearly wasn't in that truck." He said, smiling as he raised his hands, palms facing upwards.

"But my clone was. And Oliver Queen killed him." Lex watched with satisfaction as the disbelief and confusion crossed her face. Oh yeah, he was definitely getting to her.

"You're lying."

"Am I? Ask yourself this Kara, what possible reason would I have to lie about that? He killed a human being. It's as simple as that, so if I were you, I wouldn't worry so much about the state of your cousin's marriage." She stood up and leaned over the desk so that her face was mere inches from his.

"I'm warning you Lex. Stay away from my family. Next time I won't ask so nicely." She turned and walked out of the room, leaving Lex sitting there with a huge knowing grin on his face.

To Be Continued...


	13. Chapter 12

_**Chapter Twelve**_

Kara stood in the living room of the penthouse, staring out of the window at the darkening sky. It looked like rain was on its way, fitting really for her current mood. After her little meeting with Lex earlier that afternoon, she had called Oliver, demanding that he come home so that she could confront him with what she had heard.

She would not take the word of Lex Luthor over the man she loved, but a part of her knew that it could be true. Oliver had been acting strangely ever since he found out that Lex was indeed alive and back in Smallville. She couldn't think of another reason for his weird behaviour. She heard the key rattle in the lock and then his voice calling her name.

"I'm in here." She called back, waiting, still looking out of the window.

"Kara?" She heard him walk up beside her, but she couldn't look at him. "What's wrong? Your message sounded urgent."

"Did you kill Lex Luthor?" She asked, her voice quiet but steady. She hadn't meant to simply blurt it out like that, but she needed to know. One look at his face was all she needed for an answer. There was a brief flash of something, she thought was guilt, in his eyes before he shrugged.

"Kara, Lex is alive. You know that,"

"And you know exactly what I'm talking about Oliver! Don't lie to me. Did you blow up the van you thought he was in?"

He was silent for a long time and Kara wondered if he was ever going to answer her. He sat down on the edge of the sofa and held his head in his hands.

"You don't understand Kara…" He started but then stopped again. As she turned around to look at him, she noticed his hands were shaking pretty badly but she couldn't bring herself to go to him. Not until she had heard everything. The mere thought that her fiancé could be a murderer was making her blood run cold.

"Then make me understand Ollie, because I don't see what could possibly drive you to kill a man. Lex is no saint, but to actually blow him up? Isn't that a little…?"

"Kara, I couldn't just let him get away with what he'd done. He's destroyed so many innocent lives, hurt so many people. He knew Clark's secret, he planted a bomb in the city. He needed to be stopped."

"And you just took it upon yourself to do that!" She yelled, getting angry now. She just couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Yes!" He exploded. "Yes I did! Because it needed to be done. So I did it!" Shocked at his outburst, Kara took a few steps back and leaned against the wall. She shook her head, staring intently at him as her gut clenched painfully.

"Why Ollie?" She whispered, closing her eyes and hugging her arms tightly around herself. "How could you do something like that? How could you take another man's life? That isn't what you stand for. You're the Green Arrow, you're supposed to stand for something good…"

"Well, I guess I failed didn't I?" He cut in, bitterly. Kara looked at him with narrowed eyes.

"I don't…I mean, why hide this from me?." His bitter expression changed instantly, and she could see the fear growing in his eyes.

"Kara…" He took a step towards her and frowned when she automatically sidestepped him. "I can't change what I did…"

"I know. But the fact is, you did it." She whirled around to face him. "How long were you going to wait until you told me about this? Or were you going to do what Clark did and hope that this just simply went away?" She accused.

"Whoa wait, Clark knew about this?"

"No. I'm talking about something else. It seems like it's become a habit for you two, to keep a secret from the person you claim to love." She snorted in disgust.

"I don't _claim_ to love you Kara. You know I love you with everything I have. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me. I'm not proud of what I did…" Kara turned her back to him, facing the window again.

She could feel the tears stinging her eyes, and she didn't know how she was supposed to react to this kind of situation. She loved Oliver so much. Could she stay with him, knowing what he had done? Or should she walk away? There were no answers to the dozens of questions she now had and she wished that she had someone to tell her what she should do. Or how she should feel. Human emotions were indeed complex and confusing. She felt his hands on her arms, gripping lightly but she refused to turn around.

"There is not a day goes by, that I don't wish I could take back what I did. I was in a very dark place then, I found out that Lionel killed my parents, I was almost killed by a man hired by Lex. He wanted me dead as much as I wanted him dead."

"So that justifies everything?"

"No, not at all. But you have to understand that I wasn't thinking clearly at the time. He knows how to hurt Clark, he knows his secret. I wanted him out of our lives for good. I thought you of all people could understand that." He said, his voice cracking with emotion. She turned her head, eyeing him quizzically.

"Why would I understand murder Oliver?" He didn't flinch at the harsh tone of her voice, but he did back away a little.

"What would you have done to Tess last year if I hadn't been there?" Kara's mouth fell open. How dare he compare that to actively killing someone?

"That is completely different…"

"Is it?"

"Yes! You know what she did Oliver. She almost killed Lois, she planted a bomb in the city and made Clark choose which one he was going to save. She had to be stopped…" She trailed off as her words began to really sink in.

They were the same words Oliver had thrown at her. She was no different. She had wanted to kill Tess that day. She had wanted to make her suffer, just like she had made everyone Kara cared about, suffer. She had been so angry that day, so full of rage. But would she have actually done it if Oliver hadn't been there? She didn't have an answer for that. And that scared her.

"Look…" He said, his tone soft and pleading. "I wish I could turn back time and take it back. But I can't. And the thing you need to ask yourself now is…can you still love me, knowing what I did but knowing that I regret it...every single day?"

She didn't say anything, she just looked at him with tears in her eyes. Of course she still loved him. She always would. But how were they supposed to get past this? It wasn't something they could just gloss over.

"Lex may still be alive Oliver, but the intent to kill him was there. And you killed a human being. You took a life." He lowered his head at her words, shame and regret written in every feature of his beautiful face.

"I know Kara and I have to live with that for the rest of my life. Nothing you can say can make me feel any worse than I already do."

She walked over to the balcony doors, the wind was kicking up fiercely outside, blowing her blonde curls around her face, hiding her expression from him.

"I don't even know who you are anymore Ollie." And with that, she turned and flew out, off the balcony, leaving Oliver standing there watching after her, a grim expression on his face.

* * *

Lois stood letting the gentle warm breeze soothe her shattered nerves. She closed her eyes and tilted her face up towards the sun, its rays slowly returning some of the energy that had been drained out of her over the last few days. She hadn't been able to relax after Kara had left her here.

In retrospect, coming here may not have been the best decision. It was too full of happy memories, which tore her up inside. Her mind kept replaying the dvd over and over until the only thing she could see was the pain etched onto Clark and Lana's faces as they knew they had to end their love for the greater good.

The pain in her heart had only gotten worse in the few hours she'd been gone. How was she going to survive on her own? She had no idea what she was going to do. Her hand gently rubbed across her flat stomach. No matter what happened between her and Clark, she would have to tell him about the baby eventually.

He had a right to know that he was going to be a father. Even if that's not what he wanted. Her mind drifted back to the conversation she had overheard him having with his mother. He had sounded so determined that she should not get pregnant. Even if he knew such a thing were possible. And it hurt. She was surprised how much it had hurt.

Because until she had heard that, she had been so sure that the one thing Clark wanted as much as someone to share his life with, was to have someone to carry on his legacy. Someone who would love him unconditionally. A child of his own. But now she wasn't so sure.

And she was scared. Scared because she didn't know what to expect with this baby. Would she, a human, even be able to carry a half Kryptonian baby to full term? What if something went wrong? Knowing how she felt now that she'd had a little time to let it sink in, she knew she would be devastated if something bad were to happen.

"Lois…" A voice behind her startled her and she turned to see Kara standing a few feet away, looking very upset.

"Kara? What is it?" She asked, momentarily putting her own anguish aside to take care of her.

Kara shook her head, hiding all traces of anything bothering her and smiled weakly.  
"How you holding up Lo?" She asked.

"I'm…well…I don't actually know. I don't think this was such a good idea," She said, gesturing at the large building behind Kara.

"No one knows you're here Lo. Oliver doesn't even know I borrowed the keys." She replied, taking a seat on one of the chairs.

"It's not that. It's just…we were so happy here. I couldn't believe it when Oliver lent us this place for our honeymoon. Italy is such a beautiful place." Lois replied, taking a seat next to her, watching her intently. Kara was staring out at the vast blue ocean, but Lois noticed her eyes were a little red. She had been crying.

"Kara what happened?" Lois asked, reaching over to grab her hand. When Kara looked at her, Lois felt a moment of panic. Had she seen Clark? Was he okay? She shook her head, why should she care if he was or not?

"It's Oliver." She said, numbly.

"Is he okay?"

"You know what, you have enough on your mind right now, you don't need me adding to it." She sighed and got up to walk inside the villa that Oliver had bought three months ago as a present for her.

"Hey," Lois said, grabbing her arm as she caught up to her. "Tell me."

Kara squeezed her eyes shut and said. "He killed a man Lois." Lois gasped, raising her hand to cover her mouth.

"Accidentally?" Lois asked, but she feared she knew the truth. Kara's face told her that much at least.

"No, he blew up a van that Lex Luthor was sitting in. But it wasn't really Lex, it was a clone of him. But he…wanted to do it Lois."

"Oh Kara…" She wrapped her arms around her, hugging her tightly as she began to cry.

"I just don't know how to feel. I don't understand all these emotions…it's so confusing." She cried and Lois couldn't help but cry along with her. How was it fair that they'd each had everything they'd dreamed of and it had suddenly been torn apart?

"Hey, it's okay." Lois said soothingly, pulling back to look her in the eye.

"No it's not. How can I marry a man who thinks that murder is the best way to solve a problem?"

"When did this happen?"

"The same day that Lex planted a bomb on the Daily Planet roof." Kara replied, Lois stiffened as the image of Clark's face flashed into her mind. She quickly banished it, she had no time to think of that right now. Kara needed her to be strong. She was quite obviously scared and deeply affected by this, and it was obviously something that she as a Kryptonian, wasn't prepared for.

"What reasons did he give you?"

"Does it matter?" She asked, angrily swiping away her tears. "He killed a human Lois. There is no justification for that."

"No there isn't. But you know Ollie, he isn't a bad person. Maybe it was just a moment of weakness in a very dark time," Lois offered, though she could hardly believe that Oliver was even capable of killing someone in cold blood. What had pushed him to do it?

"That's not the point Lois. I don't even know him anymore."

"Sure you do, he's still the same guy you fell in love with Kara. Just because he did something bad in the past, doesn't mean that your future with him has to be any different."

"I wish I could believe that." Lois fell silent, not really knowing what else she could say to make this any better for her.

"Why don't you stay here with me tonight? We can figure this out tomorrow. I think both of us have a lot of thinking to do." She said solemnly. Kara looked at her with a sympathetic expression.

"I'm so sorry Lois. I didn't mean to dump all this on you. I know you're having a tough time right now and…" Lois held up her hand to stop her and smiled.

"Hey, none of that. I'm here for you Kara, you know that." Lois replied, but her smile faded as she sat down on the sofa.

"Lois…" Kara sat down next to her. "I saw Clark. I gave him your note."  
Lois took a deep, painful breath and nodded but didn't say anything.

"He's pretty cut up about this. He didn't know what was happening until I showed him the dvd."

"Let me guess, his first reaction was to go after Lex?" Lois snorted, knowing exactly that that was what Clark would've done.

"He thinks you're leaving him Lo…" Lois folded her arms around herself, looking down at the ground.

"Are you?" Kara pressed. She still didn't reply. "Lois, don't you think you should at least talk to him about this?"

"And say what? It's not even about what I saw, it's about what he kept from me. I'm his wife, you know, the person he's supposed to be able to confide in."

"Maybe he was scared of how you would react…"

"Please…" She scoffed, frowning at her. "He didn't tell me about this for a reason. It's simple, Lana is the love of his life and I'm…someone to fill the void."

"You don't believe that." Kara challenged, looking shocked at her words. "How can you say that after everything you two have been through?"

"Easy…" Lois stated.

"Cast your mind back to the day that Tess tried to kill you Lois. You didn't see his face then, I did. And let me tell you, that dvd was nothing in comparison to what I saw. He was devastated when he thought he'd lost you. And at the hospital, he never left your side. He was always there. He loves you so much Lois, you know that in your heart."  
Lois sighed, she did know that. But she was hurt and confused and she just couldn't think straight right now. Everything was so messed up.

"I do know that…"

"Whatever happened in the past should stay in the past Lois. Don't let the memories ruin the wonderful life you have with him because you know deep down, it would destroy him if you left."

Lois looked at Kara, her eyes narrowing as she nodded.

"I think we both need to listen to those words Kara." She replied, turning the tables on her once again. "You went after Tess that day, you wanted to do some real damage to her. If anyone can understand that type of anger, it's you. Can you really blame Oliver for something that happened a long time ago and that he probably regrets deeply?"

Kara glanced out of the window at the sun as it began its descent on the horizon, a vast contrast to the rain that was currently hitting Metropolis.

"I don't know. I love him Lois, but…"

"You don't have to decide anything right now. Let's just take this opportunity to take a step back, relax and just think about where we go from here…"

Her voice trailed off as her thoughts drifted back to Clark. Where was he now? Was he out looking for her? She had only been gone a few hours yet she cursed herself for missing him so much already. She was stronger than that. But deep down she knew, that when it came to Clark Kent, she was just like any other woman in love.

* * *

The rain was still pouring hard the next morning as Clark flew over Metropolis. He had searched every place he could think of but had found no sign of Lois. She had meant it when she said she didn't want to be found. The deep ache in his chest had gotten worse as he'd relentlessly searched all night, seeing nothing, hearing nothing. She was gone.

He couldn't bear the thought of her out there somewhere, feeling like she was second best in his life. Surely she knew how much she meant to him? He never wanted her to doubt his feelings for her. She was the only one for him, he knew that with every fibre of his being. He loved her so much. There was no one else. There never could be.

Kara had been right, if he had simply told Lois about this a long time ago, none of this would've have happened. He could blame Lex all he wanted, but it didn't change the fact that he was at fault. And he had no clue as to how to even begin fixing the mess he had made. Would she ever trust him again?

He had tried calling Kara, intent on getting the information out of her and resorting to following her if she refused to tell him. But she had vanished too. Oliver hadn't heard from her and he seemed pretty worried about that. Something had apparently happened between them but when Clark asked, Oliver had simply told him that he should just focus on finding Lois and that it wasn't his problem to worry about.

Both Kara and Lois' cell phones were turned off and with no way to reach either one of them, Clark knew that he was fast approaching a dead end. There was only one place left to try.

He landed with a thud in an alley next to the Daily Planet, quickly changed and made his way inside. Hoping that Lois would've perhaps contacted Perry, Clark made his way to his office and knocked on the door.

"Come." As soon as Clark stepped inside, Perry exploded in a fit of anger.  
"Kent! What the heck is going on around here? You and Lois both disappear yesterday with no explanation and no call?"

"I'm sorry Perry…" Clark started but Perry quickly cut him off.

"I don't want to hear sorry, I want to hear a reason. And while you're at it, would you mind telling me why Lois called, asking for two weeks of her vacation leave? Effective immediately?" Perry stared hard at Clark, his face a red mask of anger.

"Lois called you? Did she say where she was?"

"She's your wife, you should know where she is." He accused. Clark hung his head, avoiding his boss' penetrating gaze. He really didn't want to have to explain to Perry why Lois had vanished.

"We uh…well…"

"Spit it out Kent! I don't have all day!"

"We had a bit of an argument and I can't find her. I was wondering if she told you where she was."

"No," Perry replied, his tone softening as he took in the desperate look on Clark's face. "She didn't. But she was pretty adamant about not coming back for a while. She did sound different, like she was upset about something, so I gave her a week but no more."

Clark squeezed his eyes shut against the flash of pain that went through him. The thought of Lois being out there, away from him, even for a week, was unbearable. He missed her so much already.

"Is there anything you can remember, any noises or sounds that might be able to help me find her. It's important."

"The call was pretty short Clark, she didn't actually say much…" He trailed off as he began thinking. "But now that I think about it, I did hear something…"

"What?" Clark asked, stepping forward, gripping the edges of Perry's desk desperately.

"Well, I can't be sure of course…but it did sound like she was on a beach maybe? I swear I heard the sound of waves crashing in." Clark frowned, where on earth could…? Then it hit him. Why hadn't he thought of that before?

He looked up at Perry suddenly. "I know where she is." He said and started for the door.

"Whoa wait a minute! Where do you think you're going?"

"To find my wife."

"You have work to do…oh wait, let me guess, you want vacation time too." Perry said, folding his arms in front of him, trying to look intimidating. A look that Clark and everyone else knew, he could never fully pull off.

"Please?" Clark asked, his eyes pleading.

Perry ran a hand down his face in frustration. "How am I supposed to run a decent newspaper when my reporters just up and leave?" He asked, though Clark could tell he wasn't waiting for an answer as he was deep in thought.

Perry let out a tired sigh and looked back at him. "You have one week. Get this mess sorted out Clark, I really don't want to have to split you and Lane up. But I will if things in your personal life keep messing up your working life."

"I'm really sorry about this Perry…"

"Yeah, yeah." He waved his hand dismissively. "Just make sure you're both back on track by the time you come back here."

"I will. Thank you." As soon as he was clear of the crowds, Clark took to the skies again, flying as fast as he could.

**_To Be Continued..._**


	14. Chapter 13

_**Chapter Thirteen**_

"Lois, you have to eat something. You didn't eat any breakfast and you haven't even looked at your lunch." Kara said worriedly as she and Lois sat out on the veranda, looking out at the ocean.

_I could really get used to this place_. Lois thought to herself. It was very peaceful, tranquil. The perfect place to do some much needed thinking. And that was all she had done last night. She hadn't slept at all, her mind wouldn't turn itself off. His voice would not leave her in peace. She wondered what he was doing now. Was he looking for her? Of course he was, it was Clark after all.

She had been a little surprised at the amount of messages he had sent her after turning her cell phone back on. Twenty-six text messages and eight voicemails. Each one begging her to tell him where she was and if she was okay. Towards the end of them, she could sense the hurt and frustration in each one. It wasn't fair to keep him hanging like this, she knew that. But at the moment, that was how it was going to be.

"I'm not hungry." She replied, numbly. She missed the frown of concern that Kara was sending her way.

"Lois, you look awful, didn't you sleep at all last night?"

"Not really, did you?" Lois asked, deflecting. The truth of it was, she was feeling terrible. The reason she wasn't eating wasn't only because of her current situation, she just couldn't keep anything down. And the last thing she needed right now, was Kara questioning her on that. Better to let her think that she was just too depressed to eat. Which wasn't entirely a lie.

Kara shrugged and pushed a piece of her pasta around her plate with a fork."I don't need to sleep that much. But you do, who were you calling just now?"

"When?"

"Just before I brought our lunch out."

"Oh, I called Perry to ask for some time off." Lois replied, she was trying very hard to be polite, but really, all she wanted to do was curl up and sleep the rest of the day away. She was tired of missing him. Of wanting to see his eyes, his smile. She had only been gone a day and already it felt like a lifetime had passed.

"Shouldn't you have done that this morning?"

Lois smiled and tapped her watch. "Time difference, remember? It's still early morning over there."

"Oh right. I forgot." Kara leaned her elbows on the table in front of her, resting her chin on her hands as she watched Lois. "I thought maybe you were calling Clark."

"Kara we talked about this." Lois reminded her, tiredly. They had spent most of last night talking through everything, and what their options were. Kara seemed to be a lot calmer today, maybe she was starting to see Oliver's side of things. Lois wished she could say the same. She was still no closer to an answer.

"I know but…I just think that it's a little unfair to make him suffer like this. He must be going crazy…"

"Like Oliver?" Lois snapped and Kara quickly closed her mouth, and Lois saw a tiny glimpse of hurt in her expression. "I'm sorry Kara. It's just…I'm not going to feel bad about this. I will see him when I'm ready to, and not before."

"Right, I understand that." She replied, tapping her hands against the table.

Lois sighed and once again excused herself to go to the bathroom and Kara let out a huge breath and stared out at the sea. It really was a beautiful place. Oliver had chosen well. She frowned. She was going to have to talk to him sooner or later. She didn't want things to be over between them. But she had to make him understand that she was having trouble accepting it. But that would have to wait until later, right now Lois needed her. She couldn't leave her here alone.

"Kara!" She whirled around in shock as Clark stood behind her, cape flowing in the gentle breeze behind him. Physically, he looked fine, but she could see the anguish in his eyes.

Knowing that Lois would not take his sudden appearance well, she stood up to face him. "Clark what are you doing here?" She asked in a hushed voice.

"Where is she Kara?" He asked, turning and looking into the villa. Kara quickly placed herself between him and the open doors.

"Clark, you shouldn't be here. She doesn't want to see you yet."

Anger flashed in his eyes as he said. "I have a right to see her. Shouldn't you be getting back to Oliver? I don't know what's happened between you two but he's a mess Kara."

"He is?" She was a little surprised at that, but then, she hadn't been sure what he would be like. She hadn't really given it much thought.

"Yes. I think you should go."

"I can't. Lois would…" He quickly sidestepped her and headed into the house, his face set in grim determination. She saw Lois emerge, her eyes widening as she saw him and heard the gasp that escaped Clark as he noticed the black circles under eyes.

"Lois…" He took a step towards her, but she took two back.

"What are you doing here?" She asked harshly, walking past him to the veranda outside. He looked at Kara pleadingly.

"I'll leave you two alone." He caught her hand as she moved past him.

"Thank you Kara, for being there for her. I know I screwed up but I'm glad she at least had you…"

"No problem Clark. Just fix this. She misses you." She said, leaving the room. He heard the whoosh of air that signalled her departure and turned to go outside.

Lois was standing at the edge of the patio, arms folded defensively, with her back turned to him. He had no idea where to start. He stayed back, not wanting to upset her further. He felt awful. She looked as if she hadn't slept a wink last night and it pained him to know that it was because of him.

"How did you know I was here?" Her quiet voice asked.

"Perry said you called asking for time off. He said he heard the ocean in the background and this was the first place I thought of." He took a small step forward. "Lois, are you…?"

"Don't you dare ask me if I'm okay Clark!" She said, acid dripping from her tone. "I told you I didn't want to see you."

"Lois…please…just let me explain."

She let out a short burst of laughter. "Explain? How on earth do you think you can talk your way out of this one Clark?" She asked, turning to face him and he was taken aback by the sheer anger in her eyes.

"Why couldn't you just leave me alone for a while? Why was that too much to ask, huh?" She yelled, he could see her hands shaking and her eyes were starting to glaze over with unshed tears.

"You just swoop in here, without the least bit of concern for what I want! I told you I needed space, I…" She paused and closed her eyes, holding a hand to her forehead and Clark grew alarmed as she started swaying before him. He reached out to her but she slapped his hand away.

"Don't touch me!" She spat and he placed his hand back down at his side. He was aching so badly to hold her, to beg her forgiveness. But there was no way she was going to listen. She slowly sank down into a nearby chair and put her head in her hands.

"Lois, please…I…" He barely recognised his own voice, it was so full of pain.

"There's nothing you can say that will make this any better Clark. I saw that dvd, I saw your face." She whispered into her hands.

"It was a long time ago Lois…I…I know I should've told you. But…"

"But what? You forgot?" She lowered her hands and glared at him. He couldn't take seeing her look at him like that. He knew it was probably the wrong thing to do, but he couldn't stop himself from crouching down in front of her, placing his hands on the chair either side of her to pin her in so she couldn't escape.

"I'm so sorry Lois. I should've told you, there is no excuse for that."

"You're damn right there isn't! What were you thinking, hiding this from me?"

"I wasn't trying to hide anything from you. But this was never a part of our life together Lois, it just didn't seem worth mentioning because it wasn't important anymore."

"I see…"

"No you don't…"

"Then tell me now." She said quietly, her eyes challenging him. "Tell me everything."

"You saw it all Lois, why do you need to hear it again?"

"Because I want to hear it from your mouth. I want to hear your voice when you tell me what Lex did to you and Lana."

Clark looked down at the ground, he wasn't so sure that her hearing him say it would make it any better for her. But as he looked up into her eyes, he knew that she needed to hear it come from him. He cleared his throat and stared into her eyes, never breaking contact with them as he started to speak.

"You know what he did Lois, he planted a bomb in the city. A bomb full of Kryptonite. Lana had no choice but to absorb it. That meant that we couldn't be together anymore and yes, at that moment, I did truly feel like my world was ending." He heard her sharp intake of breath but her eyes stayed focused on him, urging him to continue.

"I was forced apart from the woman I loved." He took her hand in his, refusing to let it go when she tried to pull back. "I thought…that was it…that I would never be able to get over it. That I would never find love like that again. And I haven't."

As soon as he spoke those words, he knew she had taken it the wrong way. She pulled her hand back and violently swung for his face. He caught her wrist before she could make contact, and took her hand in his again.

"I haven't found love like that Lois, because I found something so much more. What I had with Lana was never really true love. I asked her to stay, even knowing we couldn't be together, but she left. She said goodbye and she left. She wasn't strong enough to stay in Smallville, seeing me everyday, knowing that we couldn't get back what was taken from us." She tugged her hand free and tried to stand up, but his arms kept her in place.

"Don't…" She muttered, closing her eyes and Clark saw a tear escape and roll down her cheek.

"You need to hear this Lois. It's the only way I can make you understand that she doesn't mean anything to me anymore." He took a moment to collect his thoughts and then continued. "When she left, I thought I would never be able to be whole again. So I threw myself into my work and after a while, it got easier to forget. And then you came back…"

She opened her eyes and the sorrow he saw, momentarily knocked the breath out of him. "You came back into my life and you brought the sun with you. I never felt alone when I was around you. You were like a breath of fresh air. I didn't realise how much I had missed you until you returned from Star City."

"Clark…"

"Please, let me get this out. You see, I barely thought of Lana at all and as the months rolled by, I started to forget and the more time with you I spent, the more I…fell in love with you. But I knew that I had no right to ask anything of you, I hurt you and I didn't deserve a second chance. But you gave me one anyway and I made a promise never to hurt you again."

"Well, you failed." She said, bitterly.

"I know and I'm so sorry. But what I'm trying to tell you is…I have never felt anything like this before. In all the years I thought I loved Lana, I had been very wrong. I loved her, but not enough to stop her leaving again. In my heart, I knew that we were never meant to be. Something would always come along to pull us apart."

"So why did you even bother getting back together in the first place?" He gently took her other hand, holding both of them tightly to stop them shaking. "Why did you fight so hard for a relationship that you thought was doomed?"

"Because Lana was the only person I had ever loved up to that point and it was familiar, safe. It was easy to be with her. She knew my secret and we both knew what to expect. But I was wrong. And then, out of the blue, something happened that made me see things a whole lot clearer."

"I fell deeply in love…with an amazing woman. Someone who was always there for me, always by my side when I needed someone to talk to. A woman who, argued with me everyday but made me feel like I was a part of this world. Like I belonged here. Someone who, even with my x-ray vision, I was too blind to see was everything I ever needed and wanted. My soul mate." A small whimper escaped her as she blinked the tears back, his words bringing back the conversations they had had in his loft countless times after Maxima had been sent back to her planet.

Clark frowned, a pained expression growing on his face, he hated seeing her like this. He gently cupped her face in his large hands, expecting her to pull away, but she didn't. She let him hold her and he felt a spark of hope go through his heart.

"And I knew, I knew in here…" He pressed her hand to his chest, over his heart. "That I would never be the same again. That this is the forever kind of love, what I had with Lana, could never in a million years compare to how I feel about you. You are my life, my heart and my soul. The day I married you, was _the_ happiest day of my life. I felt as if my heart would leap right out of my chest. How can you even doubt that I love you Lois?"

"I don't…but I need to be sure that I'm the only one you love. I need to be sure that I'm not a second choice because the woman you loved was taken away from you."

"Lois…" He said, his voice cracking with emotion. " My whole life with Lana was based on lies and pain. But you…every day I wake up and see you lying next to me. Every day, I get to be with a remarkable woman who knows me completely. A woman who makes me laugh. Who knows what I need. Who makes my life…complete in a way that I never thought was possible for me."

"I thought I was destined to spend my life here alone, helping mankind but never getting what I knew I would always want. Someone to love and love me back. For me. Not for who I am or what I can do. Someone who would love me for simply being Clark Kent. You Lois, you're the reason that I am able to do what I do. Without you, it would all mean nothing. You're my wife, the other half of me. Please…tell me that I haven't lost you." He asked, his voice barely a whisper as he pressed her hand against his cheek.

He watched as the battle waged in her eyes, one half of her telling her not to forgive him, the other half badly wanting to. He waited with baited breath as the indecision crossed her features. Never in his life had he been so scared of an answer to a question.

"Please say something…" He murmured after a minute when it became clear she wasn't going to speak.

"I…I can't…" She gently pushed him away and this time, he let her stand up. He had to stop himself from reaching out to pull her to him as she walked over to the little wall that separated them from the beach below.

"Can't what?" He asked, fearfully. Slowly, she turned around and he could see the tears openly rolling down her face now.

His heart sunk as he took in her expression and he stepped forward, grabbing both her hands in his. "Lois…don't do this…I'll do anything. Just please…don't leave me."

She made an exasperated sound and rolled her eyes. "I'm not leaving you, dummy."

"You're not?" He asked, raising his brows.

"Of course not. But…" She paused for a minute, trying to find the right words to say. "Is this it Clark? Is that everything?"

"Yes, that's everything Lo…I didn't mean to keep it from you but I never wanted to hurt you…" She put a finger to his lips, stopping him as she looked into his eyes.

"No more secrets, no more lies. We have to be honest with each other if we're ever going to have a happy marriage. I don't want to fight with you, I hate it. I love you…" He wrapped his arms around her, his heart doing little flips in his chest as he kissed her forehead.

"I swear, no more…" She stiffened in his grasp and he froze, wondering what was wrong. A distant expression appeared, worrying him.

"Clark, there's something…" She stopped, closing her eyes tight. "I need to tell you…"

"What is it?" He asked, but as he looked into her eyes, his ears picked up on the sounds of rumbling earth, people screaming, buildings collapsing. He inwardly groaned, why did it have to be now? And then he felt bad for that thought, people were in trouble, it was his responsibility to help them. No matter what was happening in his own life, he was here to protect this planet and he never took that lightly.

"Lois…I have to…" She sighed and stepped back from him, once again wrapping her arms around herself. It was a move he knew all too well, she was blocking herself off from him.

"Just go Clark."

"I'm so sorry honey, but there's an earthquake, people are in trouble." She shook her head and looked up at him with a smile that he knew was for his benefit.

"Go, I'll be here when you get back." He hesitated a moment, not wanting to leave her here alone, then leaned forward and kissed her.

"I'll be back as soon as I can. I promise." She nodded once before he turned and lifted off into the sky.

**_To Be Continued..._**


	15. Chapter 14

_**Chapter Fourteen**_

"Thanks Oliver, I really appreciate this." Lois said as she gazed out of the window of the Queen Industries private jet.

It had been six hours since Clark had vanished, the earthquake rescue missions were still going on in north America. She had seen bits and pieces of it on the news, though it was all in Italian and she couldn't understand a word of it. Clark was doing his best, but even he could only do so much, and from one of the many shots they managed to capture of him, whilst bringing someone else out of the rubble, she could see the tell-tale signs on his face.

She knew that he wouldn't be able to talk to her, she would only be a distraction if he knew she was there but she needed to be near him. To let him know that he wasn't alone. And the more she watched, the worse she felt. All those people were suffering and here she was, sitting in luxury. She had to help them.

She didn't know exactly how much she could do, but she had to at least try. Kara was helping Clark as much as she could without being noticed so she was unavailable and Lois wanted to get there as soon as she could. So as a last resort, she had called Oliver, who had graciously agreed to collect her in his jet and fly out there with her.

"No problem Lois. We should be landing in a few minutes." He replied, checking his watch, and Lois thought that his tone was a little too mechanical, like it was just another part of his daily job to do something like this.

She watched him for a few minutes, he looked so…sad. It made her heart ache to think of someone going through that. Although Kara had very good reasons for doing it, her leaving was obviously something Oliver was not handling very well.

"Ollie…" Her soft tone made him look up from the papers he was perusing. "How you doing?"

"You're asking me?" His brows raised as the shock registered on his face. "I thought you'd be as angry as Kara. I guessed she would've told you all about it."

"You aren't mad about that?" Lois wondered.

"No, I knew she would tell you. I guess it's good that she has you to talk to. She doesn't exactly have many people to confide in."

"She's pretty messed up about this Ollie." Lois said, leaning forward in her seat, resting her elbows on her knees. Oliver did the same, putting his documents back in his briefcase.

"I know and I don't know what to do. What exactly did she say?" Lois gave him a reproachful look.

"Ollie, you know I'm not going to tell you what she said. That wouldn't be right. But come on, she just found out that you killed a man." Oliver flinched at her blunt words.

"You gotta give her some time to get her head around that. And while we're on that subject…" She leaned forward and slapped him round the back of his head.

"Ow! Geez Lois, don't hold back huh?" He grumbled, rubbing his head.

"What were you thinking? Huh?" She asked, raising her voice a little. "How could you be so stupid? Green Arrow doesn't kill people! And neither does Oliver Queen!"

"I wasn't thinking Lois. I don't know why I did it, well I do, I wanted him out of our lives. But I never planned on feeling like this, I have to live with this guilt for the rest of my life." He replied, trying in vain to defend himself.

"Yes, I guess you do." She said, relenting a little. "I guess that's punishment enough huh? And Lex is alive and well. I know you thought you were doing the right thing but, Kara's…"

"I get it Lois…you don't have to tell me..." He interrupted.

"Uh, let me finish?" She said sarcastically, rolling her eyes at him, then continued. "What I was going to say was, Kara's really upset about this…but I don't necessarily think that it's something you two can't come back from. She loves you Ollie and I know you love her…it's just gonna take some time, that's all."

He nodded and turned to stare out of the window at the clouds passing them by.

"But maybe it's better that this came out now, secrets always have a way of getting out, no matter how hard you try to hide them. Maybe it's better that she found this out before you got married."

"When did you become a relationship guru?" He asked after a few minutes, smiling slightly.

"I watch a lot of Dr Phil." She replied, her face set in mock seriousness.

It occurred to her that since being with Clark, she had found it easier to talk about things. She used to be the kind of person who would always respond with actions instead of words, always fearing that they would fail her and she would say something wrong. It was a well known fact that her brain and her mouth weren't connected at the best of times. But now, she was a different person. And she owed that to her husband.

Oliver chuckled and said. "So what about you and Clark? Is everything okay there?"

"Well, sort of…he had to rush off before we got everything sorted out." She replied quietly.

"But things are back on track?"

Lois blew out a breath, pursing her lips as she thought about that question. Things were back on track, but how long would they stay that way once she told him about the baby? She still wasn't sure what his reaction was going to be. She hadn't questioned him on his conversation with Martha, mainly because it wasn't important anymore, but also because if she had, he might've been able to connect the dots.

And she needed a little more time before she dropped that bombshell. She had almost done it earlier, almost told him, but she wasn't sure if she would've actually been able to do it.

"I think so." She replied vaguely.

"Good, I can't imagine what you two would be like now, you know, if you weren't together anymore. At one time I could never have pictured the two of you together, let alone married. But now, I can't see anything else." A pained, far away expression grew on his face and Lois reached over, placing her hand over his.

"It'll be okay Ollie. Just remember that she loves you. And fight for her, don't just let her walk away." He covered her hand with his and smiled appreciatively.

"I'll try Lois, but I don't know…"

Lois slapped him again. "Will you quit doing that?" He said, once again rubbing the back of his head.

Lois grinned at him. "Sorry Ollie, but you needed it. Why are you men always willing to let your women just walk out of your life? Huh? I said fight for her."

"Okay, okay. I will."

Lois gave him a smile, looking like the cat who got the cream. "Good."

* * *

They arrived little under an hour later and as soon as Lois stepped out of the car, she was greeted by the cries of people and sight of destruction all around. Her heart sank as she took it all in.

"Lois? You okay?" Oliver asked, getting out of the car after her.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah I think so. Oh Ollie, look at this…" She said, her eyes roaming everywhere.

She felt Oliver take her hand in his and tug lightly. "Come on Lois,"

They soon got to work, Oliver was talking with the Mayor, arranging some funding to be brought over for emergency supplies and Lois was helping a group of people with minor injuries that didn't require hospital treatment.

"Look mommy, there he is! Superman!"

Lois turned her head in the direction of the little boy's excited cry. As she followed his gaze, her breath caught in her throat. Clark emerged from a building, his suit and skin stained with hour upon hour of hard work. Clark was strong, relentless in his efforts, and so it shocked Lois to see him looking so drained.

Without thinking, she got up and started to make her way over to him. His eyes held a haunted look that she couldn't bear to see. She walked past Oliver, ignoring his warning stare, she knew the rules, but she couldn't help but get a little closer to him. Oliver grabbed her hand before she could get too close.

"Lois what are you doing?" He hissed. "You know you can't talk to him here."

"I know but look at him Ollie…" She didn't get a chance to finish what she was about to say.

There was a loud bang and before she knew what was happening, she was pinned underneath Oliver's body, his weight pressing down on her as unbearable heat surged up around her. Her ears were ringing, she couldn't make anything out other than the muffled sounds of screaming. She looked up at Oliver, he was unconscious and his head was bleeding. She tried to push him off, but he was so heavy and her vision was starting to blur.

"We need some help over here!" Someone yelled and the next thing she knew, Oliver was lifted away from her and she was swept up into two strong arms. His worried eyes were the last thing she saw before the darkness swept in.

* * *

Clark paced the hallway in the hospital later that evening. There was nothing more Superman could do out there, and as soon as he'd made sure he was no longer needed, he had come straight here. He wanted to be angry at her for putting herself in a situation where she could be hurt, but he knew that Lois would've done it anyway, regardless of what anyone said.

Still, that didn't make him feel any better about it. The first few moments after the explosion, when he realised exactly who it was lying beneath an unconscious Oliver, he had almost lost his cool and slipped into 'Clark Kent' mode.

He'd had to work hard to get it under control as he lifted her into his arms, seeing her hazel eyes dim slowly as she slipped into unconsciousness. Handing her off to the paramedics had been the hardest thing he'd ever had to do. But he still had a job to do then, he couldn't afford to be overprotective when people's lives were at risk.

"What was she thinking?" He asked himself, not realising that he was talking out loud until someone answered him.

"I'd say she was thinking of being a hero. She should leave that to the professionals next time." A young intern emerged from Lois' room, looking a little green around the gills. Clark supposed that, after the day he'd had and the things he'd seen, he was probably starting to second guess his decision to get into medicine.

"How is she?" He asked.

"I'm sorry, are you related?"

"I'm her husband." Clark stated, trying to keep a lid on his patience.

"Oh. Physically she's fine. Though I'm a little concerned about her blood pressure being so high. I asked her doctor in Metropolis to fax me her medical records. She seems to have a history of it."

"She's been through a lot in the last year." Clark said, darkly.

"Yes, I can see that. She likes to live dangerously by the look of things…" He chuckled, looking through her notes. Clark shifted impatiently, folding his arms in front of him. The doctor looked up, sensing the atmosphere and quickly changed back into serious mode.

"Anyway, other than some minor cuts and bruises, and of course her blood pressure, she's absolutely fine." Clark let out a sigh of relief. "I ran some tests just to be on the safe side and you'll be happy to know that the baby seems to be fine too…"

Clark froze. "What did you just say?"

The doctor looked at him quizzically. "You did know that she's pregnant…" His expression grew nervous. "Right?"

"I uh…no...I..." Clark felt the colour drain from his cheeks. "It's not uh…um…pregnant?"

"Oh man, not again! I've put my foot in it haven't I? I'm sorry, I thought you knew. She woke up not long after being admitted and started yelling for us to check that the baby was okay. I'm so sorry…" Clark held up his hand, shaking his head as he murmured.

"Wait a minute, she's…no…it's not possible…" Clark sat down on one of the nearby chairs and tried to get his mind to catch up to what his ears were hearing.

"Well, I'm afraid that it is, and she is indeed pregnant. I'm sorry if this has brought something to your attention that you didn't know about…" Clark's head snapped up and he frowned.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well just that, I've never really seen anyone react this way to news like this. Unless of course, you _know_ that it isn't possible." At his not so hidden innuendo, Clark stood up and glared down at him, making him take a few steps back.

"My wife would never cheat on me. And you don't know the first thing about her. So save your opinions okay?"

"Okay, sorry. Oh, I am in so much trouble. My attending is gonna kill me."

"Forget about that!" Clark said, raising his voice.

He stopped, taking in a deep breath in an effort to calm himself down. His emotions were all over the place. He had no idea where to even begin with this news. How could she be pregnant? It wasn't even possible. Was it? Clearly, since he was now being told that she was pregnant, it was.

But it shouldn't be possible. He wasn't even human. There was no telling what effects this could have on Lois, and he wasn't willing to risk her life to find out. But somewhere, very deep, in the back of his mind, a tiny voice spoke up.

_You've always dreamed of this. Having a baby with the woman you love. A family of your own. What's your problem? Lois needs you. Now isn't the time to sit and wonder how this happened or what's gonna happen in the future._

"Can I see her now?" He asked, a little calmer and the doctor looked a little relieved.

"Uh sure, she's sleeping right now, but go on in." He replied, gesturing towards the door he had just come out of. Clark nodded and moved past him.

"Uh…Mr Kent?" Clark stopped at the door and turned his head. "You're not going to report me for this are you? I honestly thought you knew…"

"It's okay. I think. Don't worry, I won't report you."

The intern sighed with relief and left, leaving Clark staring at the door. He wanted to go in, he needed to see her. But he was frozen in place. _You can do this Clark. _Eventually, he wound up enough courage to open the door and walked in.

_**To Be Continued...**_


	16. Chapter 15

_**Chapter Fifteen**  
_

Oliver awoke the pounding beat of drums inside his head. He held a hand to his forehead and discovered half of it was covered with a large dressing. He tried to sit up, but a hand, a strong hand, pushed him back down again. He looked up into the unsmiling eyes of his fiancée.

"Kara…" She didn't respond, just simply walked over to the window and looked out.

"What were you thinking bringing Lois here?" She demanded. "She could've been killed."

Taken aback by her harsh tone, Oliver asked. "Is she the only one you care about?"

She looked over at him, as if pondering that question and he felt an ice cold grip of fear on his heart.

"Kara…" He sat up slowly, leaning back against the headboard, and pressed a hand to his forehead to dispel the sudden wave of dizziness that followed. He caught her worried glance before it was quickly masked behind something else.

"Are you okay?" She asked, her tone quiet as she gazed out of the window.

"I think so. What happened?"

"There was an explosion, some exposed gas lines ruptured and…you could've been killed Ollie, what were you thinking coming out here?"

"You know Lois, she was on a mission to get to Clark. She wanted to do whatever she could to help and so I took the jet, got her and came here. How is she?"

"She's fine…I think. Clark's with her. He's pretty angry with you right now." She replied, turning her head to look at him.

"Did you tell him about…?" He paused, hoping that she hadn't yet confided in Clark about his lapse in judgment. He looked at Kara, at the way her body language was screaming at him to leave her alone, and felt his heart sink.

She blew out a breath and said. "No, I didn't. It's not really his concern right now. He has enough of his own problems to worry about. I uh…I asked him if I could stay at the farm for a few days…" She said, looking down at her feet and shifting from one foot to the other.

"What?" He asked, eyebrows raised in shock. He knew he had screwed up badly but he didn't actually think she would want to move out of their apartment. He couldn't let that happen, if he did, he might lose her forever and that wasn't something he was willing to do. Slowly, he lifted his legs out of the bed and leaned forward, as he stood, his legs buckled and he started to fall. Kara caught him swiftly and pushed him back down onto the bed.

"What are you doing?" She hissed, but Oliver thought he heard a hint of concern in her tone. He leaned forward again, catching her hands in his, gripping tightly and pulling until she had no choice but to sit on the edge of the bed.

"I'm so sorry Kara, I wish I could take back what I've done. I know that it's hurting you right now but I need to know… can you ever find it in your heart to forgive me?" She stared at him like he had just grown another head. "Please Kara, I love you so much, I don't want to lose you…I can't." As she softly removed her hands from his grasp, he saw tears shining in her beautiful blue eyes.

"I'm sorry Ollie, I need time. Please understand that. I'm not like most girls, I come from a different planet, I don't know how to deal with any of this right now. I don't know what the right answer is to any of this. I love you…so much that it scares me…but I need to be on my own for a while…" She stood up and made her way over to the door.

"Kara wait!" He got out of the bed again and this time, managed to stay upright. As he staggered towards her, he heard her gasp. "Don't leave, not like this. Isn't there anything I can do?"

"Yes…" She replied, her hand gripping the door knob tightly. She looked up into his eyes with the saddest expression he had ever seen and it was like someone had just kicked him in the gut.

"You can leave me alone for a little while."

As she closed the door behind her, Oliver felt the tears run down his cheeks. One single moment of stupidity, had just cost him the most important thing in his life.

* * *

Clark stood at the foot of Lois' hospital bed, looking down on his sleeping wife. The mid afternoon sun streaming in through the window, cast an almost angelic glow around her. His head was a jumble of thoughts, he couldn't pick a single one out. So many questions, none of which he had any answers to, swam in his mind.

There was a part of him, a small part, that was over the moon at the prospect of becoming a father. But at the moment, all his fears cancelled out his happiness. When did she find out that she was pregnant? Why didn't she tell him? How could she keep something this big from him?

He didn't have long to ponder that thought before he heard her gently stirring. She slowly opened her eyes and as they connected with his, he thought he saw a moment of panic before she quickly disguised it with a smile.

"Hey Smallville. When did you get here?" He walked over to a stack of chairs, grabbed one and set it down next to her bed.

"Just now. How you feeling?"

"I'm okay. You know it takes more than a little explosion to take me out…" Her smile faded as she realised what she'd said. Memories of last year flashed through his mind, racing against time to get to her, knowing that he was going to be too late to save her. He quickly banished them and leaned forward, taking her hand in his.

"What were you doing out there Lois?"

"I came to help. I couldn't just sit around and do nothing." She replied, her tone slightly defensive.

"You could've been seriously hurt…or worse. Didn't you think about how I would feel, knowing you were out there? I had a job to do…"

"Yes I know that Clark!" She bit back. "But I needed to do something…you looked so…drained on the news. I wanted you to know that you weren't alone."

"Lois…I'm never alone, I always have you right where I need you. In here…you're with me wherever I go." He said, pointing to his heart. "But I can't afford to worry about you getting hurt when I'm rescuing people."

"I understand that, but you have to get used to the fact that I am not the kind of wife who sits at home, watching her husband on the news and waiting around for him to come home." He let out a huge breath, knowing that she was right but not willing to concede that point yet. He was still frustrated with her. And with Oliver for bringing her here.

"Lois, I had to hand you off to a bunch of strangers, not knowing if you were okay. How do you think that made me feel?" He asked, his tone sharp.

"I'm sorry okay? But I thought I was doing something useful…I guess I was wrong. I didn't mean to be a distraction." His mouth curved into a small smile as he rubbed the back of her hand.

"You're not a distraction Lo…I was just worried about you."

"I know, and like I said, I'm sorry." She winced as she shifted into a sitting position. "Next time, I'll just stick to reporting the news, not being part of it."

"I'm glad to hear that. I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you…" He said, caressing her cheek. He grimaced at his own words, she didn't know that they had a double meaning. He wanted so badly to ask her about the baby, but he was scared to bring it up.

"Well I'm okay so stop worrying about it. I'm not going anywhere Smallville." She grinned.

"Lois…" He watched her frown at the serious tone in his voice.

"What is it? Is Ollie okay?"

"He's fine. He has a mild concussion but he's okay."

"Is Kara with him?"

"Yeah, but she looked a little upset. She even asked if she could come and stay at the farm for a few nights."

"Oh no…" Lois closed her eyes and leaned her head back against her pillow.

Not for the first time, Clark wondered what had happened that was so bad that Kara would want to stay with them, but his mind could only focus on one thing right now. He stood up and walked around her bed, slowly, trying to find the right words to start with. She watched him as he paced, confusion written all over her face.

"Lois…I talked to the doctor before I came in…" He saw something flash in her eyes for a split second. "He said you're fine but that you're blood pressure is too high…"

"I know, I really need to start working on that huh?" She chuckled.

"Why didn't you tell me about the baby?" The moment he heard her sharp intake of breath, he knew that blurting it out had been the wrong thing to do, she didn't know that he knew about it, but he just couldn't wait any longer.

"How did you…?"

"Find out? The doctor told me that everything is fine…he thought I knew. Seeing as I'm your husband I can't blame him, so why didn't you tell me?" He asked once again, standing at the foot of her bed, gripping the bars tightly.

"Clark I…" She paused, drawing in a deep breath. "I'm sorry but I've only really just found out about it. I wanted to be sure before I said anything. I know that you…"

He stepped forward, folding his arms. "Know that I what?"

"I know that this must be a shock and you probably don't even want kids but…"

"Whoa, what makes you think that?" He asked, frowning deeply.

"I overheard your conversation with your mom the other day. I heard how adamant you were that I shouldn't ever get pregnant." Clark groaned, she had heard all that? Now he felt even worse. Just how many times was he going to hurt this woman before she finally did decide to leave him?

Her face turned a deathly pale colour and all of a sudden he saw the signs. He cursed himself for not seeing it sooner. She had been ill, but he had put that down to her just having a hangover. How could he have missed this?

"Lois…you're pregnant. Don't you know what that means?" He asked, though his tone was a little softer now.

"I think it means I'm going to have a baby." She said, with a sarcastic edge.

He glared at her. "You know what I mean…we don't know what could happen to you…"

She held up a hand to stop him as her face turned angry. "Don't! Don't stand there and tell me that having this baby could kill me Clark. I've already thought about the possibilities. I'm having a Kryptonian's baby. You're right, we don't know what could happen. But I thought, of all people, you would at least be happy about this."

Clark's eyes widened at the quiver in her voice. What was he doing? He shouldn't be demanding answers from her, especially after the last few days. She'd been through enough because of him. He would not cause her any more pain. As he looked into her eyes, he saw that was exactly what he was doing right now. He moved around the bed and gently sat down next to her. He took her into his arms and lay back, nuzzling his cheek against hers.

"I'm sorry Lo. I didn't mean to be so…it's just that I'm so scared of losing you."

"I know and I can understand your fears but Clark, we're having a baby. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"Lois…" He pulled back to stare her straight in the eye so that she could see the truth in his expression. "There is nothing more in this world that would mean as much as this. I never let myself dream about it because…well, I just didn't know if it was even possible, but I would be lying if I said I never thought about it. About having a family of my own. But you are the most important thing in my world, I…" She stopped him with a finger to his lips.

"Why are you so scared? And don't tell me it's just because you're scared of losing me. I want the truth Clark."

"You want the truth? I _am_ scared of you dying and leaving me. I'm scared that I'm going to wake up one day and find you gone. But mostly, I'm scared of becoming a father!" He said heatedly.

"Why?" She asked, patiently.

"Because…I don't know if I'm capable of raising a child Lois. I had the best father anyone could've asked for and he taught me so many things about life. But this…I don't know…I've made so many mistakes in my life. I wouldn't know how to raise a child. He or she would be in danger just by having me as a father." He stopped and took in a deep breath, Lois pursed her lips, staring at him with love and affection.

"Clark…don't you think I'm scared of the same things? That I'm scared of screwing this kid up as much as I have my own life? I don't even know if I'm mother material…but I'm willing to try."

"You helped raise Lucy…" He reminded her. It made his mind boggle to think that Lois thought she wouldn't be a good mother.

"Yeah…" She scoffed. "Look at how that turned out."

"You were young and still a child yourself. You did a great job. And I know that you will be a great mom, you have a lot of love to give."

"Ditto." She replied, winking at him. He frowned, he still wasn't sure exactly how to feel about all this.

"There is a little life growing inside of me right now Clark. A life that we created with our love. And I'm scared too, but we _can_ do this…I know we can."

He nodded and smiled. "You're right. Together, we can do this." His face turned serious as his eyes widened again. "Oh man…I'm going to be a father." He said, the shock of those words finally hitting home.

"Anyone can be a father Clark. It takes someone very special to be a dad, I know that better than most. But you…_are _going to be a daddy." She raised a hand and cupped his cheek and he felt tears stinging his eyes. She was carrying his baby. That in itself was a miracle. His beautiful wife, the person he loved more than anything on this planet or any other, was having his baby. Words couldn't describe how he felt in that moment.

"I'm gonna be a daddy." He said, his voice croaky with emotion. Lois smiled and kissed him on the lips.

"Yes, you are. And a great one at that. We deserve this Clark. And whatever happens, we'll deal with it."

"I don't think you get how huge this is!" He exclaimed excitedly. "We…you, me…we are going to be parents Lo. We're going to have a little baby that needs to be taken care of…" He trailed off, a slow smile creeping up on his face as he gazed at her. "A mini-Lois…" He whispered.

"Or a mini-Clark." She reminded him, as she laughed. He knew that his face must've presented an amusing sight right then, all he could do was stare at her with wide eyes and an open mouth.

"A little life that is made from both you and me. It's…it's amazing…" He said, blinking as he shook his head as if that would get it to sink in any faster. He didn't know if he would ever actually get used to idea, but he liked it. But deep down, there was still a part of him that was deathly afraid. What if something went wrong? What if Lois wasn't strong enough to carry his child? What if…?

"Hey," She said softly, bringing him out of this thoughts. "Don't sit there mulling over what could happen Smallville. We just have to take it one day at a time."

He nodded, silently amazed at how she always seemed to know what he was thinking. "Yeah, I guess you're right. But what are we going to do about doctors and stuff like that? I need to make sure that you're well monitored and looked after…oh and we're going to need to find a place big enough for the three of us when we get back and we'll have to tell my mom and Chloe and oh…your dad!"

Lois chuckled and placed her hands on either side of his face to stop his rambling. "Clark…calm down. It's okay. We have another seven months to worry about all of that. Stop freaking out."

"I'm not freaking out. I'm just…I still can't believe it. Your dad is going to kill me!"

"Why? We're married remember. Its perfectly natural for a married couple to have a baby, I think he'll be happy."

"I know but…he's going to know that we…" He trailed off as he felt the heat surge up in his cheeks. Lois burst out into a fit of laughter.

"Oh Smallville. I think he already knows about that. But don't worry," She said with a wink. "I'll protect you." His face turned serious again as he stared deep into her hazel eyes.

"Is it real Lois? Is this really happening?" She sighed, smiling as she took his hand and placed it against her belly.

"I know there's no real difference yet, but it's real Clark. Our baby is in there."

He stared at her stomach, emotion surged up within him, so strong that he thought it would crush him. Her stomach was still fairly flat but now that he knew, he could already see the subtle difference, so small yet so huge to him. A thought came to him and he leaned closer, tilting his head towards her stomach.

"What are you…?"

"Sshh."

"Clark they already tried, it's too early to hear anything…"

"Oh wow…" He said, his grin widening as the sound of a tiny little heartbeat reached his ears. It was very faint and fast, almost like the sound of a galloping horse, but it was there. His baby. He closed his eyes as he continued to listen, getting lost in the sound until Lois poked him in the shoulder.

"Hi, remember me?" She said with a chuckle.

"Sorry I was just…that's amazing Lo…I wish you could hear that." He said, in awe.

"You heard it?" She asked, shocked, he nodded. "They said it was too early. You're super hearing must be super sensitive." She laughed.

Clark wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close into an embrace. He pressed his face into her hair, taking in the scent of her, and sighed loudly. When he pulled back, he took a moment to study her. She was so beautiful in that moment, his wife, lover, friend and now…the mother of his child.

"So…" He asked, his throat husky. "When can we tell my mom, she'll be over the moon."

_**To Be Continued...**_


	17. Chapter 16

**_Chapter Sixteen  
_**

"Is that bacon I smell?" Clark turned his head towards her voice as she stepped off the last step and made her way towards him. With her hair still tousled from her sleep, a few buttons undone on her dishevelled plaid shirt, he thought she was the sexiest thing he had ever seen.

He couldn't stop his eyes from travelling down her long shapely legs, revealed by the boxer shorts she had claimed from him. He didn't think he would ever be able to get enough of looking at her, and knowing that she was his was the most amazing feeling in the world. Realising he'd been staring for too long without saying anything, he cleared his throat and looked up to see her grinning at him.

"I was making you breakfast in bed. Do you think you'll be able to keep this down this morning?" He asked, hoping that she could, she hadn't been able to eat much lately, she must be starving. He hated that he couldn't do anything to help her but he tried to be sensitive to her needs by not eating around her whenever she felt sick. She nodded and inhaled the smell, closing her eyes as she sighed.

"I think we're safe for now." She chuckled.

"Good, cause I made plenty." He said, bending his head to kiss her as she patted his chest and then made her way over to the fridge.

"Careful Smallville, that's three days running now…I could get used to that." She chuckled as she took out the orange juice and poured some out for both her and Clark. He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling in her close for a proper kiss.

"Have I told you how sexy you look?" He asked, nuzzling his face in her hair. She laughed and pushed him back playfully.

"We'll see if you'll still be saying that when I'm the size of a house."

"I can't imagine anything more beautiful." He said, seriously. She rolled her eyes at him but grinned anyway.

"What time are we flying over to your mom?" She asked, taking a sip of her juice as he went back to the stove.

"As soon as you're ready. She seemed very intrigued on the phone. I can't believe what we're about to tell her…" He said, pausing to look over his shoulder. Lois smiled back at him.

They had decided that Martha should be the first to know, since she was so excited at the mere thought of becoming a grandma. The General was next on the list but Clark was still very nervous about that, despite Lois' assurance that he would be fine with it.

Everyone else would be told after Clark and Lois were sure that everything was okay and they had found medical help that they could trust. That was where Oliver would have to come in. There was a lot to take care of but Clark was determined that Lois was going to get the best care available.

"I know, it still hasn't sunk in has it?" She replied, wistfully.

He shook his head, that statement couldn't have been more true. Though he was extremely happy, he was trying very hard to push the worries and fears out of his mind. He didn't want to upset Lois any more than he already had. He knew he was probably bordering on being over zealous in his attempts to make up for the whole dvd issue since they'd gotten back, but he honestly liked taking care of her.

But there was a part of him that still couldn't fully grasp that they were having a baby. It all seemed so unbelievable. They had spent the last three days on the farm, laying in bed at nights, talking about their future. Lois had told him about her fears of failing as a mother, and Clark had told her about his fears of not being the kind of father that he'd had and lost.

He wondered what his dad would say right now if he knew. Would he be happy? Or would he be as nervous and cautious as Clark was being? One thing he hoped was, that Jonathan would at least be pleased to know he was going to be a grandfather.

"So where's Kara?" Lois asked, bringing him back to reality in time to see he was about to burn the breakfast.

"Doing chores." He replied, emptying the contents of the frying pan out onto three plates.

"Again? That's all she's done since she got here. Have you talked to her yet?" Lois sat down at the kitchen island and watched as Clark set the table.

"No, and it would really help if I knew what I'm supposed to talk to her about. You know, give me a place to start from?" He grumbled. He hated being kept in the dark.

For Kara to have been staying with them for three days, this had to be something pretty big and he couldn't help but notice the timing of it. It was all a little too convenient for Clark that this happened the same day that Lois received that dvd. He was sure that it had something to do with Lex, but there was no way he could prove it.

So far Lex had been the model citizen, appearing from the outside to be doing nothing more than trying to get his business back. But Clark knew better than most that looks could be deceiving and he had seen Lex's true colours a long time ago.

"I can't tell you Clark, it's not my place. She'll tell you herself, if she wants to."

"We're going to see Oliver tomorrow remember, to see if he can find us a trustworthy doctor. I could just ask him then…"

"No you don't!" She said, waving a disapproving finger at him. "She's your cousin, she comes first. She's really hurting Clark and I think that maybe some advice from the only other Kryptonian on this planet would help her see things a little more clearly. She's so lost right now and Oliver, well he's just a mess."

Though he knew he shouldn't, Clark couldn't help but smile at the warning tone in her voice, she was fiercely protective of Kara lately and Clark was glad that they seemed to be so close. It was important to him, Lois knew that, but he sensed that their connection had a lot less to do with being family, then it was about something else. They had a bond, a strong one. And Clark was happy that his cousin had finally found a place to belong in this world. He dropped a quick kiss on Lois' head as he moved around her.

"I'll talk to her. I promise."

* * *

After they had eaten, Clark quickly cleared the plates away and headed out to the barn. Kara had been quiet throughout the meal and then disappeared straight after she was done, claiming that the cows needed milking. However, when he got out there, she was nowhere in sight.

"Kara?" He called, walking up the steps to the loft. She didn't reply, but he knew she was up here. He could hear the soft sounds of her sniffling and felt bad that she had been out here alone, crying. He spotted her sitting on the arm of the sofa, looking out of the window.

"Hey…" He said as he reached the top step. He stayed where he was, placing his hands in his jeans pockets as she turned to face him. Her eyes were red and puffy but she offered him a small smile.

"Hey," She turned back to the window, shoulders slumped, with a loud sigh. Clark moved forward, stopping a few feet behind her.

"Kara…" He started softly. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm fine." She lied.

"I'm not buying that. You've been crying. You're staying here with me and Lois instead of with your fiancé. Something's happened, I know it. Come on, you can talk to me about anything, you know that."

For a long time, Clark thought she wasn't going to reply. She simply sat there, staring out of the window. He didn't know what to do or say to her. This was all as new to him as it was to her.

"I don't think I can trust him anymore Clark." She said, her voice so quiet, he had to strain to hear it.

"What? Why? Did he…cheat on you?" Clark asked, feeling a little anger rise at that thought.

"No, not that. He would never do that."

"Then what is it? Please tell me Kara, I don't like seeing you like this."

"He blew up the van Clark. The van that Lex was sitting in." Clark froze in his steps, Oliver was responsible for that?

Clark swallowed hard, remembering very well that on that day, he'd been going towards that van with the same intentions. Lex had to pay for what he'd done. But he hadn't deserved to die. What had Oliver been thinking? Obviously Lex was still alive, but still…

"Um…"

"I can't marry a murderer Clark. Lex may still be alive, but Oliver wanted him dead. Wanted it enough to actually go through with it." Her voice broke on a sob and it pained Clark to see her so upset. He walked around and crouched down in front of her.

"Hey, it's okay. Look, I know that this looks pretty bad, that what Oliver did is unforgivable but…" He paused and looked down at the floor, trying to find the right words. "Do you still love him?"

"Of course I do. I can't stop thinking about him. I miss him so much. I don't know what to do, Clark, tell me what to do…please?" He enveloped her in a huge hug, letting her cry on his shoulder, rubbing her back soothingly. When he felt the sobs eventually start to subside, he gently pulled back and looked into her watery eyes.

"Kara, don't do this to yourself. I know you think that Oliver is a murderer but both of us know that isn't true. I can't condone what he did, but…I can understand it…" Kara's head shot up.

"What are you talking about?" She demanded. Clark exhaled sharply and took a step back.

"The day of that explosion, I was…well…I was going to Lex to punish him for what he'd done to Lana and me. Someone beat me to it…"

"Oliver." Kara put in.

"But the intention to hurt him, maybe more, was there Kara. I wanted to cause him the same pain he'd caused me all these years. I wasn't thinking clearly, I was angry and hurt. I don't know what I would've done if I had actually gotten my hands on him. I think maybe, that Oliver wasn't thinking at all, he just acted on impulse and it was wrong. But he can't take it back, he can't change what happened. He loves you Kara…"

"I know that! But am I seriously supposed to forget about this?"

"Kara, just take a moment to really examine this, you, me, Oliver…we're all guilty of those kinds of thoughts. You can't tell me that you've never wanted to use your abilities to get revenge on someone who deserved it."

"That doesn't make it right Kal-El!" She yelled angrily.

"No it doesn't." He replied, his tone soft and patient. "But it happens. Just because we're from a different planet, doesn't mean we're immune to those kinds of thoughts."

She sat down on the sofa and put her head in her hands, her blonde curls forming a curtain around her face so that he couldn't see.

"Kara," He sat down next to her and put an arm around her shoulders. "Are you really going to let this ruin what you and Oliver have? I thought you were stronger than that."

"I don't know Clark." She replied, a little calmer now. "What would you do? If you were in this situation I mean? Would you be able to forgive Lois if she had killed someone?"

Clark thought about that, the thought of Lois killing someone was laughable to him. She could never be capable of that. But he wondered, what would he do if placed in Kara's position? He couldn't think of an answer.

"Well, I guess it depends on the situation. But I know that nothing would ever make me stop loving her. In the past year and a half, I have seen Oliver change so much. He's not the same person he was before he met you. And just like I can't change what happened with Lana before I married Lois, Oliver can't change what he did before he met and fell in love with you."

"Aren't you angry with him? Even a little bit?" She wondered.

"I am, a little. Taking people's lives is not our choice to make. No matter what that person has done wrong. And I will talk to him about it. But he's a mess Kara, he needs you. Can't you forgive him?" Clark asked, squeezing her shoulders. She looked over at him and for the first time in a long time, he saw the briefest hint of a smile.

"I want to, I really do. I know I don't really have any right to be this angry with him, especially since he was the one who stopped me from doing something to Tess…" She trailed off, shaking her head as she thought. "And he never judged me for it. He supported me, and helped me when I felt like I was losing control. I think I would've done some real damage to her that day if he hadn't been there."

"You can't blame yourself for that Kara, Tess was clearly as delusional as the person who mentored her. She almost killed my wife and hundreds of innocent people. I don't blame you for it." He said, his tone sour as he remembered.

"Thank you." She replied. Standing up, she ran both hands through her hair and groaned. "I am such a…I've been horrible to him haven't I?" Clark stood up and stopped in front of her.

"No, Kara you have every right to feel the way you do. But don't let it take over. Fight it. Fight to keep what's yours. Don't let Lex take that away from you too."

"I guess you're right. But I can't just call him and say, guess what I'm not angry anymore. I've left it too late for that Clark. I've been ignoring his calls, all his messages. I left him. How do we go back to normal from something like this?"

"Go and see him. Just take it from there. I think you two need to have a long conversation." Kara smiled and drew in a deep breath. She wrapped her arms around Clark's shoulders and hugged him.

"I'm nervous Clark. What if I get there and I still can't…?" She said, wringing her hands together.

He cupped her cheek and smiled. "Kara, just go. It'll take time, but you'll get there." Kara looked at him, her blues eyes shining with tears.

"I love you Clark. I know I don't say that enough, but I really do. I'm glad that I get to spend my life here on this planet with the people I care about the most. Oliver, you, Lois…you're my world."

"I love you too Kara. I just want to see you happy, that's all that matters. Everything else can be dealt with in time, but just…be happy." He replied, kissing her on the cheek.

"Now go." Without another word, she nodded, smiled and took off through the window into the bright morning sky.

* * *

"Oh you are so paying for this later Smallville." Lois warned her husband, glaring at him as she walked past him into Martha's house in Washington a few hours later. Martha stood by the door, staring after Lois and then raised an inquisitive eyebrow at Clark. He shrugged and gave her a hug.

"She's mad at me." He said in a tone that suggested it was a daily occurrence.

"What did you do this time?" Martha chuckled. Clark grinned and opened his mouth to reply but was cut off.

"He flew too fast," Lois called out from the bathroom. "And now look." She appeared in the doorway and Martha couldn't stop the laughter from bubbling up.

She hadn't noticed it at first because Lois had swept past her so quickly, but it was hard not to laugh at the state of her hair. It was a complete mess, all wind-blown and tangled.

"Hey, I did warn you that it was windy." Clark defended, shrugging out of his jacket and taking off his glasses. He never wore them around Lois and his mother, they preferred him without them. "You should've tied it back."

"Aagh!" She gave up trying to detangle it with her fingers. "Martha, do you have a brush I can borrow please?"

"Sure honey, it should be in the cabinet in the bathroom." As Lois stormed off, muttering something about stupid farmboys under her breath, Clark and Martha went into the kitchen.

"So, not that I don't love seeing you…" Martha started as she poured out some coffee. "But what brings you by?" She asked, handing him a cup.

"Well, we just thought that we would visit, we haven't seen you in a while and we have the week off work so…"

"Clark, we saw each other last week remember?" She said, narrowing her eyes at him suspiciously. "What's going on?"

Before he could answer, Lois reappeared, looking once again presentable but no less irritated with him.

"That's better." Clark chuckled and tried to wrap an arm around her waist, but she pulled back and pointed at him.

"Don't you dare. You're in the doghouse Smallville." She ignored his pout and turned to face Martha with a smile.

"Oh, is that coffee?" Lois asked her smile fading, wishing that she could have a cup. She was missing the stuff already. But even if she could drink it, the smell alone made her nauseas. It was kind of ironic, she thought, that the beverage she loved so much should be the one to make her sick with the mere smell of it.

"Good heavens Lois, are you all right? You've gone awfully pale." Martha said, concern etched onto her features. Lois held a hand to her stomach and looked up at Clark for help as she tried to push the feeling down.

"Actually mom, that's kind of why we're here…" Clark started, guiding his mother to sit at the table.

"You're not sick are you?" Martha asked worriedly. Lois was surprised. After her question to Clark last week, she had been sure that Martha would've guessed what their visit was about today. But she seemed utterly clueless. Maybe she was like Clark, always hoping but never actually expecting it to happen.

"No she's not sick mom." Clark replied, steeling a glance at Lois. Their eyes met for a moment and then Clark turned back to Martha.

"Lois is…pregnant."

The room fell silent and then the only sound that could be heard, was Martha's coffee cup clattering against the table as it tipped over, spilling the dark brown liquid everywhere. Martha glanced down at it, her mouth opening in a wide 'o' shape. She got up and grabbed a cloth, then proceeded to mop up the stain, wordlessly.

Clark glanced worriedly at Lois. "Mom, did you hear what I just said?"

Martha looked up at him, her eyes hazy. "What dear?"

"Mom, Lois is going to have a baby. My baby." He pressed.

"That's nice." She replied, taking her cup over to the sink.

Lois leaned in close to Clark and whispered in his ear. "I wasn't expecting this reaction. Is she okay?"

"I don't know." Clark stood up and just before he reached her, he heard the cup shatter in the sink. Martha turned to face them, her expression one of complete and utter shock.

"Lois is…" Lois stood up and grabbed both of Martha's hands in hers.

"Martha, you're gonna be a grandma."

That seemed to do the trick. Martha's eyes widened and for a long moment, she simply stared at Lois. The next thing Lois knew, Martha was wrapping her arms around her, holding her tightly.

"Oh my…it's true? I'm really going to have a grandchild?"

Lois chuckled and stepped back a little, feeling a little relieved. "Well I must say, you're taking it better than Clark did."

Clark threw her a defensive look but didn't retort. Instead, he took his mother's hand. "Mom, are you okay?"

"Okay? I'm better than okay Clark. I'm going to be a grandma!" She laughed, tears welling up in her eyes, spilling down her cheeks as she grabbed Clark and hugged him.

"And you…my baby boy is going to be a father. Your dad would be so proud." She cried. Clark brought Lois in on the hug and the three of them stood there for a while, letting the information sink in.

"I just can't believe this." Martha cupped Lois' face in her hands.

"You are the best thing that has ever happened to my family Lois. I look at the two of you and I see myself and Jonathan when we were your age. So much love. That was all I wished for Clark, to have someone he could love and love him back. I went through so many years of watching him suffer, always fearing that he would be alone. But then you came along and from the moment you met, I saw the way you interacted with each other. You became friends, reluctantly," She laughed. "But close friends nonetheless and you had a bond. But you made him feel like he was a part of this world in a way that no one else could…and now there's going to be a little baby. Thank you Lois, you're the best daughter any mother could wish for."

Lois choked on a sob at Martha's heartfelt words. It was everything she had ever wanted to hear. For Martha to say that they were like her and Jonathan meant a lot to Lois, it blew away any doubts that still lingered over Lana.

She looked up at Clark, the intensity in his eyes stole her breath and for a moment, she was speechless. She knew that he was still scared, but he had tried so hard not to show it. She would be lying if she said that she wasn't still scared herself. But as she looked at her husband and her mother, for that was how she thought of Martha, she knew that it would be okay as long as they were together.

"Uh, I'm really sorry to have to break this up, but I have to go…" Clark muttered, looking apologetic.

"Of course sweetheart. You go, Lois and I can have some girl time." She smiled at Lois and then returned to her task of cleaning up the mess she'd made. Clark wrapped his arms around his wife, and leaned his head down to kiss her.

"I'll be back soon." She nodded and let him go. He quickly changed into his suit and flew out of the patio doors.

"You know, I've raised him from a bright eyed toddler, but I don't think I will ever get used to the sight of him flying off in that suit." Martha said wistfully, staring out of the window at the sky her son had just flown off into.

Lois chuckled. "Tell me about it."

Martha looked over at Lois, her motherly love shining through strong.

"I may have raised him Lois, but you have made him the man he is today."

_**To Be Continued...**_


	18. Chapter 17

_**Chapter Seventeen**_

"I don't care how long it takes, just make sure the necessary paperwork is filled out by morning." Oliver slammed the phone down and raked a hand through his hair in frustration. Today was not going well at all.

He'd heard nothing from Kara, her cell phone was turned off and with each minute that passed, he became more sure that he was never going to hear from her again. He wasn't sure how much more of this he could take. He hadn't been patrolling, he hadn't been eating and he definitely hadn't been sleeping well. His dreams had been filled with visions of explosions and Kara as she walked away from him, tears running down her beautiful face.

So he tried to keep himself busy, throwing himself into his work, hoping that it would distract him. It didn't. All he could think about was her. The hurt he saw in her eyes and the guilt he had been feeling since last year was slowly suffocating him. He needed to do something. He'd had an idea of selling Lex's shares back to him. To do something, anything to alleviate this feeling.

"Oliver." His head shot up at the sound of her voice and he felt the breath leave his lungs as he saw her standing in the doorway to his office.

"Kara…" He stood, contemplating going over to her, but the expression on her face made him wonder if that would be the right thing to do. Instead, he shoved his hands into his pockets and waited for her to walk inside.

"How are you?" She asked, looking everywhere but at him as she sat down on the chair next to his desk.

"I've had better days." He replied truthfully. "You?"

"I've had better days too." She answered with a half smile. He ached to go over to her, to lift her out of that chair and hold her tight. But his feet were rooted firmly in place. "I talked to Clark."

"Oh…" He hung his head, looking down at the floor. For whatever reason, it bothered him to know that Clark knew about his failure. He couldn't stand the thought of Clark looking down on him, because he knew that he would be right, no matter what he would say. Oliver knew he had it coming though.

"He uh…he actually seemed, well not okay with it, but he didn't explode like I expected him to."

Oliver frowned, that wasn't the Clark he knew. The very idea of taking a human life was abhorrent to Superman.

"I know, it doesn't seem like him does it?" Kara said, noticing his expression. "But I think he has other things on his mind right now." Oliver took the bait, for he knew that she was trying to divert attention away from their current situation. It was something she did quite often when wanting to avoid a subject.

"Like what?"

"I don't know, the whole Lana dvd thing has really thrown them for a loop. I think it's taking a little bit of time to readjust. But they'll get there, I know they will. Their love is too strong to be damaged permanently by something like that."

As she spoke, she looked up into his eyes and he felt his heart flip in his chest at the hidden meaning in her words. For the first time in days, Oliver felt…hope.

"I mean, Lois can be pretty stubborn. It's going to take a while for her to completely forgive him but she will." Slowly, she stood, crossing over to where he was standing. She stopped in front of him and shoved her hands into her red jacket pockets. "And Clark, well she knows that he's sorry and that it happened a long time ago. But what it all comes down to now is…trust. If they don't have trust, then there's no point."

"Are we still talking about Clark and Lois?" He asked, his voice hoarse. He was suddenly feeling very nervous.

"Ollie…" She said softly and his heart flipped again at the familiar name. "I know that you're sorry and I know that you feel awful. I want to be able to trust you, I really do."

"You can Kara," He grabbed her by the shoulders gently. "I never wanted to hurt you, that's the last thing I would ever want to do."

"I know that." She laid a hand on his chest, close to his heart, and he was sure she'd be able to hear the furious pounding it was now doing.

"But you have to realise something Ollie," She stepped away and walked over to the large windows that overlooked the city. Oliver stayed where he was, watching her with anticipation.

"Every day…" He started, when it seemed like she wasn't going to continue. He needed to tell her everything he felt inside because he couldn't hold it in anymore.

"Every day, I've had to live with what I've done. Every time I step in this office, I am reminded of him, reminded of what I did to him. It kills me Kara. I made a decision in a moment of anger, a decision that I bitterly regret. And I know I have to live with the choices I've made in my life, but this is the worst. Sometimes I get scared that this feeling will never go away." She turned slowly, crossing her arms in front of her as she listened to his heartfelt plea.

"But the one thing that scares me more is losing you. I can't bear the thought of waking up without you next to me. Of seeing those amazingly blue eyes, smiling at me. Of hearing your voice." He took two steps towards her. "I miss you so much."

"We've been together what…over a year now? In all that time, you never told me. That's what hurts me the most Ollie. That you could keep something this big from me."

"Because I didn't want to hash it all up again, I was trying to forget it, trying to live my life."

"Seriously?" She scoffed. "That's your excuse?"

"What do you want me to say? I know I was wrong but at that moment, I snapped, I thought I was doing something right, getting him out of everyone's life." He didn't know what else to say to her, he had laid everything on the line, it was up to her now. Everything he had dreamed of since she'd said yes to his proposal, was now resting on her decision and he had never felt so scared in his life.

"I want you to understand that, had you told me about this, willingly confided in me, things might be different." She shook her head and exhaled. "I don't know, I guess I feel a little betrayed that's all."

"Betrayed? Kara no that's…" He moved forward, bringing himself close enough to reach out and touch her if she would allow it. "Listen to me…"

"No you listen to me…" She interrupted, but her tone was soft and gentle. "I'm sorry…"

Oliver blinked in surprise. She was apologising to him?

"I know how it feels to lose your control and do something in the heat of the moment. If you hadn't stopped me, I'm pretty sure I would've killed Tess last year."

"No you wouldn't, you could never kill someone in cold blood." He defended.

She threw him a reprimanding glare. "Ollie, I'm trying to tell you something here. Can you just listen for a minute?"  
He shut his mouth and nodded. She smiled briefly at him before perching herself on the corner of his desk, her expression turning serious once again.

"I went there with the intention of seriously hurting her Ollie. I wanted her to suffer for what she did to my family. Lois is like a sister to me now, it makes me feel bad to know that I was so close to losing the chance of that relationship with her. If I hadn't found her in time…she would be dead. Blown to pieces. And Clark, she made him choose Ollie…choose between the love of his life, and his destiny. I can't imagine what that must've been like for him. I can't believe someone would do that to him. To them. I just…I just wanted her to feel some of the pain she gave out. But you were there…"

She looked up at him. "You stopped me from doing something that you knew I would regret. And I now know why it was so important to you. You didn't want me to go through the same thing that you did." Oliver moved towards her, reaching out and stroking her cheek tenderly.

"I couldn't let you go through that Kara. It would eat away at you until eventually, there's nothing left but the guilt." He said sourly, grimacing as the memories flashed in front of his eyes. It seemed like they were on a constant re-run in his mind lately.

"Thank you." She replied. "But even though I can understand it Ollie, I can't get over the fact that you kept a secret this big from me. We're supposed to be getting married, I don't know if it means the same here as it does…did on my planet. Marriage there was sacred, something to be shared by two people whose lives were intertwined with each other's no matter what. To be parted from that person, would cause unbearable pain to the other. When I look at Clark and Lois, I see that." Oliver cupped her face in both of his hands and stared deep into her eyes.

"Kara, I'm in pain being without you now. I love you so much, I want to be your husband. I need you to be my wife. But I'm not perfect, you know that. I have flaws just like every other human being. Or Kryptonian."

"Its just…" She drew in a deep breath and placed her hands over his on her face. "Can I trust you Ollie? Can I trust that you will never keep a secret from me again?"

"I promise, that I will never do anything to hurt you ever again. You mean too much to me Kara." He smiled hopefully, but her face remained serious.

"That didn't answer my question Ollie. I need to know that you feel that you can trust me enough to tell me things."

"It was never about me trusting you. I wanted to tell you, but I never thought that it would come up. I never expected Lex to pop back up."

Kara eyes became narrow as she said. "And that's it? There's nothing else I should know?"

"No, there's nothing else. I promise."

"You're lying." Oliver's jaw dropped, what on earth was she talking about? He didn't think he had any other secrets from her. In fact, he knew he didn't.

"What are you…?"

"I heard your phone call on my way in. You were talking about selling Lex's shares back to him,"

"Oh…that. Well technically that's not a secret Kara. I was going to tell you, when I saw you."

Kara shook her head in disbelief. "What are you thinking Ollie? You can't sell them back to him."

He sighed and turned away from her, looking out of the window. "Why not? It's the only way I know to even begin making up for what I did."

"If you sell them back to him, he gets full control of Luthorcorp again. He'll be up to his old tricks in no time. Don't you see, this is the perfect way for you to keep an eye on his activities. Because we all know that he's always up to something."

She was right, Oliver knew that, but still he felt that he needed to do something.

"I know you feel bad Ollie, but neither of us can change the past. It's how we live our lives now that counts." He felt her hand on his arm, gently pulling to turn him around.

"So does this mean that you forgive me?" He asked, tentatively. Kara took a few moments to think about that question and he feared the answer was going to be no. But then her face broke out into a slow smile and his heart felt like it was going to burst right out of his chest.

"I've missed you so much. You have no idea what's it been like at the farm. Clark's in his making up to Lois phase and they're both like lovesick teenagers." She said, laughing as she hugged him fiercely. He buried his face in her hair, inhaling the scent of her.

"I'm sorry I put you through this Kara…" She put a finger to his lips, then replaced it with her own. He wrapped his arms around her waist, one hand trailing up to tangle in her blonde curls, as he deepened the kiss. His mouth moved down her jaw line and her neck and he heard her moan quietly. When she pulled away, he slowly opened his eyes to see her smiling brightly at him.

Oliver let out a sigh as he held her close, the nightmare of the past few days now fading into the background. A thought occurred to him. "Kara, how did you find out?"

Her smile faded. "Lex told me."

"When did you see Lex?"

"A few days ago, I went to see him about the dvd that Lois received. He said that he didn't send it but I know he's lying. He mentioned something about you…well, you know."

"He's playing mind games already." Oliver said, his brow furrowing.

"Hey," Kara placed a hand against his cheek and he leaned into it, feeling the warmth from her palm seep into his soul. "Lex doesn't matter Ollie. He doesn't have nearly as much power as he used to, he can't hurt us anymore."

"That won't stop him from trying." Oliver replied, his tone dark.

Kara's face grew suspicious as she gazed at him, making him wonder what she was thinking now.

"Oliver…you have two choices here. You can choose to let this go, and be happy with me. Or, you can start getting paranoid about Lex and letting him control your life."

"Those are my choices?" He asked, letting out a burst of laughter as he pulled her in again. He nuzzled his nose against hers. "Kara, you know that I would _always_ choose you."

* * *

"Kal-El. Why have you come?" Jor-El's deep voice boomed through the vast ice structure that was Clark's fortress.

"I need your help Jor-El." He said, looking around. It occurred to him that even through the six months he'd spent locked away in here, every time he'd heard Jor-El speak, his eyes had automatically sought out the source of his voice. But it wasn't anywhere to be found. He was just a voice. An artificial intelligence created by his father to ensure he was never alone on this planet.

Clark didn't know what he could hope to achieve by coming here. It wasn't as if Jor-El could be happy for him and Lois. Kryptonian science could only do so much. But there had been hints in the past, tiny hints that he thought were emotions, coming from his father. Maybe it was just wishful thinking.

"What is it my son?"

"It's my wife…she's…carrying my child. How is that possible?" The last part, Clark muttered more to himself, as if asking himself that question yet again. Jor-El however, had heard him loud and clear.

"An Earth woman is carrying an heir to the House of El?"

"Yes, and I need to know…is this dangerous for her?"

"There is no way to be absolutely certain."

Clark shook his head, anger rising deep within. "Don't give me that. I need answers Jor-El, please. I don't want to lose her."

"I am aware of your love for this woman Kal-El."

"Then tell me what I want…no, need to know. Please?" There was a long pause, Clark had grown accustomed to those. It almost seemed as if Jor-El was taking a few moment to compose his thoughts.

"The decision to send you to Earth was not made lightly my son. Your mother and I gathered as much information about this planet as we could. We chose this planet because it's inhabitants look identical to ours. You would be safe here, the people we selected to raise you were indeed good people. I owe my sincerest gratitude to Jonathan and Martha Kent." He trailed off and Clark wondered where he was going with this.

"Your mother was concerned that you would be an outcast. We tried to prepare for that, by leaving a piece of ourselves with you. But Lara was also concerned about you living your life alone on this planet, she hoped that you would one day find someone to love. Lois Lane is indeed a remarkable woman."

"Yes she is, but is she strong enough to carry a Kryptonian baby?" Clark asked, getting back to the reason he came here.

"You know that humans are fragile my son, they do not have the power that is bestowed upon you by the yellow sun."

"Stop! Just stop giving me vague answers and tell me what I want to know!" Clark yelled, growing more angry and scared with each word.

"The conception of this child is indeed unheard of. It is unknown if a Kryptonian can successfully breed with a human…"

Clark cut him off. "Breed? You make us sound like animals. I love my wife Jor-El and I will do anything to make sure that she and the baby are safe."

Jor-El carried on as if Clark hadn't interrupted. "During one of my visits to this planet, I collected data to research. One of those subjects was human DNA. I studied the genes and patterns, and found that they are not completely dissimilar from our own. Though there are some differences, I believe that it is not impossible for a human to carry a Kryptonian foetus."

"I thought you just said that it was unknown?"

"I said that it is unknown if a Kryptonian can _successfully_ breed with a human. Kal-El, I do not wish to alarm you, but the chances of your wife carrying this child to full term are slim."

Clark felt something take a hold of his heart and squeeze painfully. He had feared those words since the moment he had found out Lois was pregnant. Not only could he lose the woman he loved, but he could lose his child too.

"On Earth, the human female is pregnant for approximately forty weeks. On Krypton however, this time span was significantly different."

"How different?"

"Kryptonian pregnancies lasted for approximately thirty weeks. Because your wife is human, I am unsure that she would be able to carry this child for the full human term. The baby is half Kryptonian, it would put enormous pressures on her body."

"It could kill her." Clark said numbly.

"The child has not yet been exposed to the rays of the yellow sun. I do not believe it to be strong enough to kill the mother. Remember my son, this child has both human and Kryptonian DNA."

Clark hated the clinical way Jor-El was talking about Lois and their baby, but what did he really expect? Jor-El couldn't feel his anguish, his pain.

"So…" Clark took in a deep breath and started pacing as his brain kicked into gear. "You're saying that there's a chance that both Lois and the baby could be okay?"

"The child may be born earlier than human babies Kal-El, but it is possible that your wife could deliver a healthy child. An heir to a civilisation now lost." Clark couldn't be sure, but he thought that Jor-El sounded proud.

Clark didn't care about a lost civilisation, he just wanted to know that they were going to be okay. That was all that mattered to him. But it seemed that he would get no guarantees.

"I can't lose them…father," Clark whispered.

"I understand Kal-El. They are important to you as they are to me. It was both I and your mother's wish that you should know this kind of happiness. It will not be an easy road Kal-El, but I shall do everything in my power to help you."

"Thank you father." Clark muttered, grateful for the answers he'd been given, it didn't make him feel completely at ease, but it did help a little. Clark had a feeling that he would never be able to rest until the day came and mother and baby were both safe and sound.

* * *

Martha poured herself a cup of tea, after quickly discarding the coffee and offered Lois some to help settle her stomach. She still hadn't been able to quell the nausea that the coffee had induced. She had been feeling fine all day, she had managed to keep her breakfast down, much to Clark's satisfaction but the second that smell had hit her nostrils, that was it.

"Clark's been gone an awfully long time." Martha said, breaking her out of her thoughts.

Lois shrugged as she accepted the mug of steaming liquid from her mother. "He usually is. He doesn't like to leave a scene until he knows everyone is okay." She said, a hint of pride in her tone. She snuggled back against the sofa and glanced at Martha.

"You don't think we were irresponsible do you Martha?" Lois asked, needing to get that question off her chest, it had been bothering her since they'd arrived.

"What? Why on earth would you think that?"

"You didn't see the way Clark reacted when he found out. I honestly thought he was never going to accept it. And even now, he's still so scared that something's going to happen to me."

"Well that's just Clark, you know what he's like when it comes to the people he loves." Martha put in, covering Lois' hand with hers.

"But this is different Martha, he's so nervous around me. He's trying so hard to take care of me that I don't really think he's dealing with it properly. He listened to the baby's heartbeat in the hospital, he was so…" Lois closed her eyes at the memory of his face as he listened to her belly. "He was so happy. But since then, he hasn't touched my stomach once. It's almost as if he's afraid to touch me. Like he's avoiding it."

"Oh honey, I'm sure that's not what he's doing." Martha said, her tone soft and motherly.

"Maybe he's just trying to distance himself from it until he knows that everything's okay. But that doesn't keep it from being real. I'm scared too, but I have never been happier in my life."

Martha frowned at her. "So why did you ask if I thought you were irresponsible?"

Lois blew out a breath and looked into her eyes. "Because, we got pregnant, without knowing what could happen to me or the baby. It was reckless. But I thought we were being careful…" She said, cursing herself for the sniffle that escaped her as she spoke. Martha shifted across the sofa and pulled her into an embrace.

"Lois, I'm sure you were being careful but there's no way either of you could've known that this would happen. But it is a blessing nonetheless. Did you know, a few years ago, Clark found a baby…"

Lois' head shot up. "What?"

"It was about five years ago, he and Lana were driving back from…" She frowned, trying to remember. "I can't remember, anyway, there was a flash in one of the fields they were driving by, they stopped to check it out and found a tiny little newborn baby in a crater."

"Oh my…what did they do?" Lois asked breathlessly, she had never heard about this before.

"They took him to the hospital. But they didn't have enough room for him so Clark brought him home with us." Martha smiled at the memory. "They named him Evan, because that's the name of the field they found him in."

"What happened to him?" Lois could not recall Clark ever mentioning an Evan before.

"He uh…well his mother was meteor infected and therefore, so was Evan. He was growing rapidly, at an accelerated rate. One minute we were looking at a newborn and then there was a flash of light the next thing I know, he's a four year old boy. He just grew so fast, his body couldn't handle it. Eventually, he…died."

"Oh…" Lois sat there stunned, where had she been when all of this happened? It would've been the year that she was staying at the Kents' farm. So why hadn't she heard about it?

"Clark was devastated. But I'm glad for one thing, no matter how short it was, that little boy's time was spent with people who cared for him. Clark was a natural, a little shy, but a natural. He took care of that baby so well. Evan's appearance really touched him. He told me and Jonathan afterwards, that he wasn't sure he would ever be able to have children. That because he wasn't human, he would never get to experience that special part of life. So you see Lois, he has thought about being a dad from a young age."

"Oh Clark…" Lois whispered, her heart breaking for the teenager in Martha's story.

"He was scared that he would always have to live his life in fear of someone finding out about him and the people he loved, getting hurt. But you changed all that Lois. For the first time in his life, he has someone who understands him, inside and out. So it's only natural for him to be a little worried right now. He doesn't want to lose you. Either of you. But I know, deep down, that he is ecstatic about the prospect of becoming a father." She squeezed Lois' shoulders gently, nudging her with a smile. "Just give him some time sweetie. He needs to do this right now."

Lois nodded, wiping away a tear. "I just um…I just want us to be a family."

"You already are Lois, he just needs a little time that's all."

* * *

Clark lay awake for most of that night, staring up at the ceiling, his mind going over everything Jor-El had told him earlier that day. Lois had been uncharacteristically quiet for most of the evening since he had explained everything about his visit with Jor-El and even though she'd been a little shocked to hear it, she had taken it rather well.

But he sensed that something else was bothering her, though she wouldn't tell him what. Whatever she and his mother had talked about, it seemed to have had a profound effect on her.

He glanced down at the sleeping woman next to him, lying with her head on his chest, her hair splaying out around her, tickling his bare flesh. She looked so peaceful, so content. He wished that he could be like that. He would feel better after she'd seen a doctor. He hoped.

Lois let out a little sigh and his heart melted as she brought her face up to his, kissing his jaw line in her sleep. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her body against his, feeling the warmth from her. He couldn't resist placing a light kiss on her lips and was mildly surprised when she responded. He opened his eyes to see her staring at him, with the most beautiful smile he had ever seen.

"Hey," He said softly. She brought her hand up to caress his cheek, gazing at him worriedly.

"Can't sleep?" She asked and he shook his head. "You're still worrying aren't you?"

"I can't help it Lo. I'm sorry." Lois raised herself up and leaned on one elbow, resting her head in her palm.

"Well since we're both up, I have an idea…" She started, wiggling her eyebrows at him.

"Do you think that's wise right now?" He asked, nervously, mainly because he knew he wouldn't have the will power to say no to her if she tried. He may be worried about her, but he wasn't blind, she was overpoweringly sexy.

"I was actually thinking about getting some of the pie that your mom sent home with us," She giggled. "But I love the way your mind works Smallville. And they call you a boy scout."

She laughed as she got up and walked out of the room, Clark lay there with an embarrassed look on his face. He sighed, getting up to follow her downstairs. As he reached the bottom step, he stopped and watched her for a moment.

She was singing to herself, oddly with too much energy for that time of morning, and swaying her hips back and forth. Clark didn't know whether to laugh, or race over there and grab her.

He marvelled at how she always made him feel better about things, without even saying a word. One thing was for sure, life with Lois Lane-Kent, was never boring.

_**To Be Continued...**_


	19. Chapter 18

_**Chapter Eighteen**_

"Lois hurry up we're gonna be late!" Clark called upstairs for the umpteenth time. He was feeling very on edge today, his nerves were really getting the better of him. They were about to meet the doctor that Oliver had set up for them. Needless to say, Oliver had been a little shocked the other day when he'd discovered why they needed one but once he'd composed himself, he had gotten straight on it, with a promise that he would get one of the best doctors on his staff.

Oliver had assured him that she was very trustworthy and had been working with him for the past two years. Clark had given him the green light to tell her what she would need to know, which meant that yet another person would know who he truly was. But there was nothing he could do about it.

If keeping Lois safe meant he had to expose his true nature to someone, he would do it in a heartbeat. As he continued to pace the kitchen floor, he hoped that Oliver was right. Not only was he putting his wife and child's health on the line, he was also risking exposing his secret. But he knew that Oliver would never do anything to compromise that. And so, he had to trust him.

The house was fairly quiet in the early morning, Kara had moved back in with Oliver and they seemed to be doing okay. Clark was glad that they'd managed to start sorting things out. It may take a little while, but they would get there eventually. There had been a few angry words exchanged between him and Oliver about what he had done, but he knew that Oliver was beating himself up about it enough, Clark didn't need to add to it as well and he had enough on his mind.

On top of all this, he was still concerned about Lex and the threat he posed. Clark knew for a fact that Lex was the one responsible for the disruption in both Clark and Oliver's relationships. But after a long talk with Lois, he had decided to drop it. But that didn't mean he was going to forget about it. No, he would be keeping a very watchful eye on Lex Luthor.

Glancing once again at the clock on the kitchen wall he called. "Lois! What's taking you so long?"

"Give me a minute!" She yelled back angrily and then his ears were filled with the sound of her retching violently. Mentally kicking himself for being so abrupt, Clark made his way upstairs and into the bathroom, where his wife was currently sitting in front of the toilet.

"Sorry Lo…" He muttered as he grabbed a cloth and ran it under some cold water. Sitting down next to her, he placed it on the back of her neck and smiled sympathetically when she groaned in appreciation.

"Well, at least we know this is your child…he's already doing his best to irritate me." She moaned, as another wave hit her.

"Is there anything I can do?" Clark asked, rubbing her back in smooth, gentle circles. He could lift a tractor with one hand, but none of his powers could help her now. Seeing her suffer like this, he felt so useless.

"I'm fine. It'll pass in a minute. Ah, that's nice." She sighed, leaning back against him as he pressed the wet cloth to her damp forehead. He kissed her temple and leaned back against the bathtub.

"You said 'he'…" Clark murmured against her hair, taking in what she'd said.

"Hmm?"

"You said 'he' as in…a boy…" Clark stammered. He felt a strange sensation in his stomach as he thought about that. Up until now, he hadn't really thought about whether it could be a boy or a girl, he had been too focused on making sure that Lois was okay. But, a son? Clark couldn't imagine what it would be like to have a son.

"Oh well…it's too early to tell that yet Smallville but…" She turned her head to look at him, studying him with curious eyes. "Would you like it to be a boy?"

"I…" He paused, thinking about that question. "Honestly? As long as the two of you are healthy, I don't mind. I think it would be cool to have a little girl, one who's as beautiful as her mother." Clark flinched at the tone of his voice and hoped that Lois hadn't picked up on the hint of detachment there.

He felt relieved when Lois grinned and said. "Charmer."

"It's the truth Lo…" She leaned her head back against his shoulder and sighed.

"Oh, Perry's going to be mad when we go back to work tomorrow, I don't have a story for him."

"I don't think Perry's ever happy unless he's chewing someone out. You can handle him."

She chuckled and began to stand up, with Clark helping her.

"Are you okay?" He asked, watching as she went about freshening herself up.

"Yeah, I think the worst of it has passed now." She paused to look at him in the mirror. "Clark seriously, you have to stop worrying so much. I'm not made of glass, I'm tougher then you give me credit for."

"Lois, you are one of the strongest people I know, but this is…"

"Look Clark, I understand that you're scared and I am too. But you need to relax, seriously, you're not helping my blood pressure." She chuckled but stopped when she saw the serious expression his face.

"We're in this together remember? Besides, you should be focusing on what we're going to say to my father at dinner tomorrow night."

Clark scowled at her, that was a dirty trick. She knew he was nervous about that. Meeting the General Lane for dinner was one thing, but to tell him he had gotten his little Lo pregnant, well that was another. But he knew he couldn't avoid it. Chloe, Jimmy and Kara were coming over tonight and Clark was nervous enough just telling them. He didn't know why, but he knew that on some level, actually telling people out loud, would make it all real.

After she finished freshening up, she walked over to him and took his face in her hands, smoothing her thumbs over his cheeks.

"You are so cute when you pout." She giggled. He placed his hands on her hips and frowned.

"Cute in a manly way?" She didn't reply, she grinned wickedly and walked out of the bathroom, leaving him standing there watching after her.

"Come on Smallville, we don't want to be late." Clark shook his head, wondering with a smile, how she had turned the tables on him once again.

* * *

"So…" Kara started as she sat herself down in front of Oliver on his desk in his office, interrupting his work. "You gonna tell me why my cousin and his wife are coming to see you?"

Oliver gave up trying to work and focused on her. He rubbed his hands up and down her jean clad thighs and leaned in for a kiss.

"Don't change the subject." She said.

"Well, they need to talk to me about something important." He said, shifting in his seat. Kara narrowed her eyes at him.

"There's something you're not telling me. I thought we agreed no more secrets Ollie."

"Kara…it's not my secret to tell. You're seeing them tonight, I'm sure they'll tell you then," As soon as the words left his mouth, he knew he'd said too much. As he watched, Kara's face displayed an interesting array of emotions. First was confusion, then came realisation, and finally, shock.

"No way! She can't be!"

Eager to do some damage control, Oliver grabbed her hands. "Kara, you have to promise me you won't say anything. They want to tell you themselves and if Lois finds out I let it slip, she'll…" He trailed off, his face grimacing as he thought of what Lois would do. "Well, let's just say that there won't be any kids in our future."

"She's pregnant? Really? Oh man, Clark must be freaking out!"

"He is, that's why he asked for my help. He wanted me to find a reliable doctor. He's really worried about how this will affect Lois."

Kara's face sobered. "Yeah, I guess he is. He never thought it was possible, I didn't either really. But…wow…Lois is pregnant. It all makes sense now." She said, staring off into the distance.

"What does?"

"The way she was acting when I took her to Italy. She hardly ate anything and she looked awful, tired and pale all the time. I just put it down to what was happening at the time. I never suspected that she could be pregnant."

"Well, they'll be getting …"

"Don't worry, I'll disappear. I won't say a word. You do have a good doctor don't you? Lois is going to need a lot of care. No one knows what could happen." Oliver noticed her look of concern as she thought about that. He squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"Hey don't worry, I have the best money can buy. I'll look after her Kara,"

"Thank you. Wow…a half human-half Kryptonian baby." Their eyes met and Oliver could see what she was thinking. "Do you think it's possible that we…?" She shrugged sheepishly.

"I don't know." He replied truthfully. He honestly had never thought about having kids. But now that Lois was pregnant, it defied all the odds of it never happening. "Would you like to have kids someday?"

A slow, lazy smile appeared as she replied. "Someday."

* * *

"You okay? I flew as slowly as I could." Clark asked as he lowered Lois to the ground outside a newly acquired Queen Industries building on the outskirts of the city. Lois wondered just how recently acquired it actually was.

"Yes I'm fine. Will you stop fussing?" She snapped, but felt bad when she saw his frown. "I'm sorry Smallville it's just, you're being a little overprotective don't you think?"

In truth, she was beginning to get a little irritated at him. He was constantly checking up on her, making sure that she wasn't over doing anything. He barely left her side, except for when he had to do his Superman thing and even though it was sweet, it was all becoming a little too much for her to take.

And she still had another seven months or so of this. She was an independent woman, always had been, and even though she loved Clark with her whole heart, that was never going to change.

"Overprotective? When both the baby's and your health is at stake? I don't think so, no." He defended.

She huffed out a sigh and stormed away from him, with him following closely behind.  
"Your father told you that I'll be fine Clark."

"No, he said that he sees no reason why…" She whirled around to face him, stopping him dead in his tracks.

"Smallville, I love you so much. But you are suffocating me. Why can't you go back to being that guy in the hospital? The one who held me and got excited and started rambling when he listened to our baby's heartbeat. When did this neurotic person take over?" She saw something flash in his eyes, but it was gone so quickly she didn't get a chance to analyze it.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm here aren't I?"

"Are you?" She countered. "Are you really? Because all I see at the moment is you freaking out. You haven't touched my stomach once since we got back from the hospital, you haven't listened to the baby. I can see what you're doing, you're trying to pull away, distance yourself. What I can't figure out is why."

He opened his mouth to reply, but quickly closed it again. He walked around her and held open the door for her to step past him. She stayed where she was, eyeing him warily.

"Can we talk about this later? We have an appointment."

"No, I want to talk about this now!" She folded her arms defiantly.

"Lois please, let's just meet this doctor and get you checked out…" His eyes pleaded with hers and suddenly something occurred to her. As she looked at her husband, Martha's story replayed itself in her head.

"Oh my…you think that if you do those things, you'll get too attached. And if something does happen, it will be less painful for you if…" Clark couldn't look at her, so she knew she had hit the nail on the head. She couldn't believe that she hadn't thought of it before.

"Smallville." She said, her tone soft. She tilted her head and smiled at him as she moved closer. She shook her head and then smacked him square in the chest. "Snap out of it! Doing those things doesn't keep this from being real right now."

"I know that. But can you honestly blame me for wanting to know for sure that both of you are okay before I let myself…I mean I…?" He exhaled, shaking his head at himself.

"No…I guess not." She reached up and kissed him softly on the lips. "Come on," She took his hand and led him inside.

It was fairly empty in the large hallway, indicating that it hadn't been that long since Oliver had bought the place. Lois wondered what he was going to be using this building for. They made their way over to the elevator and pressed the button for the top floor. Clark was silent the whole way up there and Lois didn't know what to say to him to make him feel any better.

She glanced over at him, she could see the concern for her so evidently in his eyes. She didn't say anything, she simply squeezed his hand reassuringly, letting him know that she was there when he decided he wanted to talk about this.

"Hey guys," Oliver said cheerfully as they walked in the door. His eyes fell on Lois and he greeted her with the brightest smile she had seen on him in a long time. She was so happy that Kara had decided to forgive him. She sounded like a different person when she talked to her on the phone last night. And she knew that it was because of Oliver.

She would never have thought of the two of them as a couple before, but now that they were, she couldn't imagine Oliver with anyone else. It seemed like a lifetime ago that she and Oliver had dated. So much had happened to both of them since then.

"Is it too early to offer my congratulations?" He asked, dragging Lois into a hug.

"Thanks Ollie." He shook Clark's hand too, but Lois noticed Clark's eyes drifting around the large room, as if checking the place out.

"So how do you feel?" Oliver asked as he released her.

"I actually feel pretty good. A little tired, but otherwise great. Where's Kara?"

"She's uh…out. So…" He clapped his hands together, changing the subject. "You ready to meet your doctor? Don't worry Lois, she's the best at what she does."

"And what exactly is that?" Clark asked.

"Well she used to be in private practice before I met her but she has been doing research on genetics for years. I hired her because, well, some of us aren't invincible like others." He said pointedly at Clark. "And she's very trustworthy, she's patched me up more times than I can count. She's been a major asset to my team over the years."

"What's her name?" Clark asked, unimpressed.

"Helen Carter. She should be here in a…" The intercom buzzed, cutting off his reply. "Ah, looks like this is her now."

"Well, I'm off to the ladies'. Play nice while I'm gone." Lois said to Clark, her eyes flashing in amusement at him as she walked away.

"You okay man?" Oliver asked as he pressed a button on the intercom.

Clark nodded. "Yeah, let's just get this over with huh?"

"You need to relax buddy." Clark simply stared at him as he went to answer the door. Why was everyone telling him to relax?

"Helen. Come on in, thanks for coming."

"Hey Oliver. Do you have everything I asked for?" Clark froze as he looked at the woman entering the room. He couldn't believe it. Talk about a blast from the past. The last time he had seen this woman was…

"Yeah it's all here. Though I did have a little trouble getting…" Oliver trailed off as he noticed the way Clark was staring at Helen in shock.

"Helen Bryce?" Clark asked, disbelieving his own eyes. Her brown hair was shorter and she was wearing glasses. He hadn't seen or heard of her for over seven years but it was definitely her.

"You two know each other?" Oliver asked.

"Obviously more than you do." Clark retorted. "Oliver, meet the ex- Mrs Lex Luthor."

_**To Be Continued...**_


	20. Chapter 19

_**Chapter Nineteen**_

Oliver was stunned, he rubbed his jaw thoughtfully as he turned to Helen. "I hate to say this but please tell me you mean Lionel. Even though that's a gross thought."

"No. She was married to Lex." Clark stated angrily. He could barely control his anger, he was furious that Oliver would bring someone like her into this situation.

"It was a long time ago Oliver. I've long forgotten about that nightmare. I moved on and made something good of my life." She said defensively, but her eyes never left Clark's.

"Did you forget about the almost killing him part? You drugged him and left him on a crashing airplane…" Clark spat angrily.

"Yes I did! And I make no apologies for that. We all know that the world would be a far better place without Lex Luthor."

Clark snorted and looked at Oliver. "I can see why you like her so much. Birds of a feather."

"Hey now that's not fair Clark." Oliver's face paled at the glare he was receiving from Clark.

"Not fair? I trusted you! You promised me someone I could rely on Oliver! You honestly think I'm going to let someone like her anywhere near Lois or…my baby?" He replied, raising his voice.

"I told you she's been working with me for years, I had no idea who she really was Clark."

"And I'm not that person anymore." Helen stepped forward so that she was face to face with Clark.

"Clark, I promise that you can trust me. I've kept your secret for years haven't I? When your father asked me to keep your blood results to myself, I did. I protected you even though I didn't know you, even from my fiancé. That day in the hospital, after your mother's miraculous recovery, I asked you if there was something I should know. I know now why your father said that the less I knew, the better. But I knew that there was something about you, something that would one day change the world. I never made the connection from your blood to Superman until Oliver told me. I've studied samples of your blood for years, I can help you if you'll let me Clark."

Unwilling to listen to anything she had to say, Clark replied. "It doesn't change anything Helen. You tried to kill a person."

"And I'm betting Lex didn't tell you that he tried to do the same to me. I was lucky to get out with my life, but since that day, I have moved on and never looked back."

"How did Lionel get a hold of my blood? You had to have had something to do with that." Clark asked, not believing her for a second. It was true that he never really knew her back then, but he had been friends with Lex, and he had told him how manipulative Helen could be. Helen squared her shoulders and looked him straight in the eye.

"I sold it to him."

Clark's eyes widened. "You did what?" He spat angrily.

"I have no excuses for that Clark. I did it to get Lionel out of mine and Lex's life. Back when I thought we stood a chance, I thought that if I removed Lionel from the equation, Lex would be a better person." She snorted. "How wrong was I?"

"Wait a minute," Clark held up a hand, trying to get his head around the news. "You sold my blood to a man that posed the biggest threat to my family?"

"Yes, but I swear I never told him who it came from. He kept pestering me to tell him, but I didn't. I wanted him to leave us alone Clark, he tried to pay me off to leave Lex."

Clark looked over at Oliver, who was looking as angry as he felt.

"I'm telling you this because I want you to know everything, no secrets, no lies. Everything I say today is the truth."

"You don't understand what you did! Morgan Edge found out about that blood, he made me steal it from Lionel in order to get him to buy it back. He hurt my family, he tried to kill me. How could you do something like that?"

"He wanted to study it Clark, he was dying of a rare liver disease and thought that your blood would be able to cure him. But I never once told him who it was from, you have to believe me on that. I would never have told him it was your blood. I protected you."

"I've heard enough." Clark said, a low growl emanating from his throat as his eyes pleaded with Oliver's to get her out of his sight. Oliver grabbed her arm, and started dragging her towards the door but she resisted, keeping her eyes focused on Clark.

"Clark listen to me…I'm so sorry for what I did I really am. I have tried to make up for it ever since I left Smallville. I felt that I needed to pay a penance for what I did. I just didn't expect it to take the form that it did."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Clark asked, confused. Oliver looked up at him, urging him to at least hear her out. He clearly trusted this woman, but he didn't know, until today, what she had done in the past. And it was as much of a shock for him to hear as it was for Clark.

"I've had my own share of troubles over the years Clark. I think I've more than paid my debt to society."

Helen looked up at him with teary eyes. "Before you go thinking I'm telling you this because I want you to feel sorry for me, I'm not. I just want you to know all the facts before you throw me out. I lost my husband, the love of my life, a few years ago. I tried to join him, I was in a very dark place for a long time. I tried on three different occasions to take my own life. But somehow, deep down inside, I knew that I deserved it."

Clark stood silent, he didn't know what to say to that. Was it the truth? Or simply a trick to win his sympathies so he would trust her again. That was never going to happen.

"What happened?" He found himself asking.

"We were out Christmas shopping and someone tried to mug us, my husband tried to protect me and in the process he was shot and killed instantly, I couldn't save him. He died in my arms Clark. I watched the person I loved more than anything else in this world, die right there in my arms and not one ounce of my medical training could stop that."

She looked away as a tear rolled down her cheek but he saw the intensity of emotion in her eyes, she couldn't hide that no matter how hard she tried. She was telling him the truth, he could see that much. It reminded of him of the immense sense of hopelessness and despair and…pain that he'd felt when he knew that he wouldn't be able to get to Lois in time to save her from the bomb that Tess had planted on her. But that didn't change how angry he still he was.

"What I did in the past, that was my mistake, and I know that I had it coming. Karma always catches you in the end. So yes, what I did was wrong, I can't say I regret trying to get Lex out of everyone's lives but I do regret the person he turned me into. I was a good doctor before I met him, he…he twisted me, messed me up until I didn't know who I was anymore."

"No one deserves to die Helen, no matter what they've done." Clark replied, his throat felt tight as he spoke but he had always been a firm believer that everyone deserved a second chance. He had given more than that to Lex over the years and look at what he'd done.

"After my husband was killed, I was so lost, but when I came to terms with it, I knew that it had been my fault, and I worked hard to make up for it. I met Oliver a couple of years ago, one night the Green Arrow had gotten in a little over his head and I found him bleeding out in the middle of a parking lot. I took care of him and ever since then, I've been trying to help him as he does his best to protect this city. Lex Luthor didn't even enter my thoughts until I saw you here today. You have nothing to fear from me Clark. When Oliver first told me what this was all about, I knew that this was the perfect chance to make amends. That maybe by helping you and your wife, my husband's death wouldn't have been for nothing. I swear Clark, if you do decide to accept my help, I will protect your secret and your family, with my life."

Before Clark could even begin to process that, they heard a voice in the doorway.

"Okay, I just heard the words, kill and Lex Luthor, someone mind telling me what's going on?"

Lois reappeared, and he saw her eyes taking in the three angry figures standing before her. The tension in the room was so thick you could cut it with a knife. She moved over to Clark, standing by his side as she looked at Helen.

"You must be the doctor Ollie's been telling us about. I'm Lois." She extended a hand and glanced up at Clark as Helen shook it.

His wary eyes never left Helen. He just couldn't believe that she was standing here in front of him. After all this time. But he knew that she was a good doctor, she had tried so hard to save his mother's life after she had been infected with a strange Kryptonite related virus. But she had betrayed him, that part he just couldn't forget.

Helen smiled politely. "Well Lois, I'm glad to finally meet you. I understand that this a delicate time and you probably have a lot of questions and…" She turned her gaze to Clark. "I will do my best to answer them. If Clark agrees…"

Clark found himself faced with two difficult options. The first, the one he knew he should choose, was to tell her no and hope that he never saw her again. But there were complications to that option, she now knew too much. But something in her eyes kept pulling him towards the second option, the one he didn't want to choose.

Deep down he knew that maybe she was the best person for this job. She knew his genetic make-up, she had kept his secret for over seven years, and Oliver trusted her. Had done for years. If she was still that person, she would've betrayed him by now. Oliver was a billionaire and she knew he was the Green Arrow, she could've turned on him at any given moment and got as much money out of him as she wanted. But she didn't, she had been what Oliver had called 'a loyal employee' for over two years.

Should he turn her away because of something that happened a long time ago?  
Something that, it seemed, she had obviously paid a high price for.

He swallowed hard as he glanced down at Lois, who was watching him curiously. Every instinct was telling him to protect her, to take her far away, to a place where she could never be harmed. But he knew that he couldn't do that. It wouldn't be fair on her and she simply wouldn't allow it anyway. He glanced at Helen again, watching her carefully. Could he put the safety of his wife and child in her hands?

"Smallville." Lois said quietly, turning his head to face her. "What is it?" He saw her forehead crease with concern and wrapped his arm around her a little tighter.

He looked over at Oliver. "I don't want her alone on this."

"I can get someone else Clark don't worry about that." Oliver offered, clearly he was disappointed in Helen, he hadn't known any of this before today and he obviously felt the trust he'd placed in her had been seriously misplaced.

"Clark…" Helen started. "If you don't want me on this I will understand and I swear that no one will ever know about this from me. I'm not stupid, I know that Superman does so much for this planet. For every one of us. But I…" She trailed off, her voice breaking as she spoke again.

"I guess I just wanted to be a part of it, a part of something good. I've helped Oliver because I knew that he was trying his best to protect innocent people. I just wanted to help do the same, to become the kind of person that my husband could be proud of."

Lois, who had stayed quiet up till now, took a step forward, staring Helen straight in the eye. "I don't know what exactly is going on here, but I know my husband, he's very protective of the people he cares about. But if you cross us, you won't have to worry about him." She said and Clark could hear the silent warning in her tone.

"I know that Lois." Helen replied. Clark cleared his throat, gently pulling Lois back over to him.

"Here's the deal Helen. You can help us…but…I will be at every appointment, I want to hear everything you discover. You are not to see Lois alone. And I want someone else to work with her." This last part he spoke to Oliver, who nodded in agreement. "You will be under constant surveillance, you understand that?"

Helen nodded solemnly. "I understand Clark. But I hope, that in time, you'll come to trust me. I really only want to help."

Clark grimaced and then looked down at Lois with love in his eyes. "You may be the only one who can right now."

* * *

"So you haven't been around much lately Chlo…I've missed you." Lois said as she and Chloe stood in the kitchen doing the dishes later that evening. Kara, Oliver and Jimmy were all sitting in the living room, watching something that Lois could not get her head into even if she tried. Her head was too full of thoughts.

She had been examined by Helen earlier, with Oliver keeping guard from the other room. Clark had been called away, he hadn't wanted to leave her and eventually, she'd had to force him. She knew that he would never forgive himself if he let something happen to an innocent person if he could avoid it.

"I know and I'm really sorry it's just that well, being Watchtower for Oliver and the boys kinda takes up a lot of my time."

"I understand, you're a busy woman these days." Chloe stopped drying for a second to watch her older cousin.

"Is everything okay Lois?"

Lois sighed, she didn't know what to say to that. Was everything okay? They had all had a nice meal, everyone she loved in the same room, well with the exception of one person. Once he had brought her home, Clark had been called off again and she hadn't seen him since. She hadn't even had time to talk about her meeting with Helen.

Drawing in a deep breath, she pasted on a fake smile and looked at Chloe. "Everything's fine sweetie."

"You can't fool me Lois, I may not have been around much, but I know you. And I know when something's bothering you. So spill it…"

"Honestly Chlo…it can wait until later. I want to hear what you've been up to."

The petit blonde gave her a questioning glance but decided to honour Lois' change of subject. That was the thing about Chloe, if she knew that something was wrong but you didn't want to talk about it, she would wait patiently until you did. And Lois loved her for that.

"Well like I said, mostly Watchtower stuff, Oliver's having a new headquarters built so I won't have to work from Isis much longer. I'll still keep doing that stuff, helping the meteor infected is still important."

"I'm proud of you Chloe. Helping all these people, it must be rewarding."

"It is…" She replied, trailing off as Lois noticed a frown. "But, I'm so glad that Jimmy knows about it all. I don't think he would be so understanding if he didn't."

"You don't get to spend much time with him I take it?"

"Not as much as I'd like. But I'm sure it'll work out. It has to. So…where's Clark?" She asked as she took another plate to dry.

"He's uh…well I don't actually know. He left earlier and hasn't been back since. Superman stuff I think." As she spoke, Kara walked past them, heading for the back door.

"Hey, where are you sneaking off to?" Lois asked with a smile.

"I just…have to do something important. I'll be back in a minute." She replied and before Lois could respond, she was gone. She watched out the window as Kara made her way into the barn, what could she be doing out there?

"There's something different about you Lois." Lois turned to face her so quickly that the plate she was holding slipped from her grasp, shattering into pieces on the kitchen floor.

"Great." She muttered, bending down to pick it up. As soon as she did it, she knew that it had been a bad move, the meal she had just eaten and for the first time, enjoyed, began making its way back up. She didn't have time to see Chloe's worried yet thoughtful stare as she ran past her and headed for the stairs.

* * *

"So this is where you're hiding. You know, Lois is pretty worried about you." Kara stood in the doorway to the barn, hands in her pockets, watching Clark as he sat on one of the bales of hay, surrounded by darkness. The light only showed half of his face, and the half she saw, looked so sad that it made her heart ache for him.

"Sorry, I just needed some time to myself. I heard everyone laughing and having a good time, I didn't want to bring down the atmosphere." He replied quietly. "Does Lois know I'm out here?"

"No, I sneaked out." Kara sat down next to him, picking at the hay between her legs. "Is this about the baby?"

Clark's head shot up and he looked at her in shock. "Oliver told you?"

"No, I sort of guessed. But that doesn't matter, what matters is, why aren't you happy about this? I thought this was something you always wanted?"

"It was…is." He grunted. "I just…it's complicated Kara."

"You're making it complicated Clark, when it doesn't need to be." Kara replied, her tone strong.

"Lois needs you right now, she's dealing with this on her own and I know how scared you must be, believe me, I'm probably the only person on this planet who can understand that. Its scary and you don't know what will happen in the future. Those are all valid concerns Clark, but you need to understand that this isn't about you right now. Lois needs to know that you're there for her."

"I am." He said, without much conviction because he knew that Kara was right.

"Not as much as you think. You didn't see her tonight, she was constantly looking at the clock, waiting for you to come home to her. You shouldn't be putting her through this Clark." She said, but her tone wasn't reprimanding, it was soft and gentle.

"I know, I'm messing this up. But I don't know how to…"

"I'm not trying to make you feel guilty Clark, we all know you can manage that on your own." She laughed, ignoring the glare she received. "But I'm just trying to make you see this from a woman's point of view."

"I'm…"

"Listen Clark…" She said, her eyes glazing over as she looked into the distance.

"To what?"

"No, sshh, just listen. Can't you hear it? Oh wow, it's amazing, I've been hearing it since I got here. So fast, but steady and strong."

Clark listened hard, and eventually he heard what she was talking about. His heart flipped in his chest as he listened to his baby's heartbeat and Lois' slower rhythm that he knew so well.

"It is amazing." He agreed.

"And you're missing it. You're so caught up in your own worries, you're not paying attention to what should be one of the happiest moments in your life. How many other fathers can say that they've listened to their own baby's heartbeat, with their own ears?"

Clark let out a sigh, she was right, he knew that, but was he supposed to just sweep all his concerns under the rug and forget about them? Forget about the real dangers that Lois could be facing? Not to mention Lex and then there was Helen…

"Hey," She said sharply, bringing him out of this thoughts. "Stop thinking so much Kal-El. Everything that worries you, everything that scares you, it can all be dealt with over time. But right now, you should be enjoying this."

"You know, Lois isn't just afraid that she's on her own, I think she's scared that you're pulling away from her. That maybe there's a chance that you won't accept this baby because of what it could do to her."

"That's crazy!" He said, shocked and a little hurt that Lois could even think such a thing.

"Maybe so, but you haven't exactly given her a reason not to think that have you?"

Clark stared thoughtfully at the floor, shaking his head as he thought. She couldn't possibly think that, could she? Thinking back over his behaviour around her, he wondered why he hadn't picked up on that sooner.

"I'm such an idiot." He groaned, placing his head in his hands.

"Yes you are, but that's a topic for another day." Kara laughed and he found himself smiling in return.

"Thank you Kara." He said genuinely.

She shrugged and pulled him into a hug. "I'm just returning the favour Clark. I may technically be younger than you on this planet, but don't forget you're still my little cousin."

"Like you'd ever let me." He retorted, feeling brighter than he had in days. He had to go and talk to Lois.

"Why don't you take a few moments to get your head sorted and then come join the party?" She said, her eyes glinting at him as if she knew something he didn't. He nodded and kissed her on the cheek, then watched as she left.

He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the bale behind him, focusing on the sound that he couldn't believe he had forgotten about. His eyes flew open as he realised it was getting closer.

"You finished moping yet?" Her voice filled the barn, and he took a few moments to study her as she walked in the door. She looked a little green around the gills and pale and tired, but in that moment, she had never looked more beautiful to him.

"Listen Lois I need…" She stopped in front of him and put a finger to his lips. She smiled nervously as he looked down at him.

"I want to show you something. I never got a chance to before but…" She pulled something out of her back pocket and handed it to him. He flipped it over and as he realised what she had given him, his heart felt like it had stopped. He sucked in a breath, his eyes scanning every inch of the picture.

"I wanted to tell you what Helen found out. She said that by the looks of this sonogram, I'm more than eight weeks along."

He couldn't tear his eyes away from the picture. Lois pointed at a spot in the centre and said."See? There's our baby, Smallville." It was a little hazy but he could make out the tiny little prune sized blob in the middle.

"Clark?" He looked up at her, but he couldn't focus on what she was saying, his stomach was doing flip flops.

"She's says that judging by the size of the baby, I'm at about ten weeks."

"Ten weeks?" He repeated.

"That's almost three months Smallville. I said that it couldn't be possible, I would've noticed long before then and she said that not all women notice it in the early stages. So she carefully worked it out and hey presto, ten weeks."

Clark looked back down at the picture. He ran a thumb across the centre, tracing the outline. _My baby_.

"She also said that I am in excellent health apart from one thing." That got Clark's attention. He glanced up at her with a worried frown.

"My blood pressure is still too high but apart from that, I'm doing just fine. So you see, there's no need for you to be so worried."

Clark didn't reply, he didn't think he could if he tried. His throat felt tight and his chest felt like it was about to burst. She looked so happy, and he cursed himself for making her feel as if he didn't want to be a part of this. He hadn't realised that he'd been doing it.

Slowly, he placed the picture down next to him and clasped his hands together. Taking his silence to mean something else, Lois' face fell and she started to move away.

"I'll just give you some time…" He reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her back to stand in front of him. Without saying anything, he leaned closer to her and placed both hands on her waist. He turned his head and listened to the tiny life growing inside of her and felt the biggest smile in ages, warm his face.

"There you are…" He whispered to himself. Then he did something that shocked Lois and even surprised himself. He lifted her shirt to expose her belly and took a moment to really look, noticing the subtle but very definable difference. Her waist seemed thicker, only he, who knew her body as well as his own, would be able to notice that.

He heard her gasp when he slowly and gently, placed a soft, lingering kiss just above her belly button. He felt her hands in his hair, caressing his scalp and he looked up to see tears in her eyes, tears that were reflected in his own.

He stood up and wrapped his arms around her, bringing her body in so close to his. "I'm so sorry." He whispered as he leaned his forehead against hers.

She shook her head slightly and smiled. "It doesn't matter now."

"I promise Lo…I promise that I'm going to be there for you from now on, not just physically, emotionally too. I didn't realise what I was doing to you." He said, his tone pained and weak. She reached up to cup his face in her hands. "I'm sorry."

She rubbed her thumbs over his cheeks, staring deep into his eyes. "I love you."

"I love you too." He kissed her lips. "Both of you."

_**To Be Continued...**_


	21. Chapter 20

_**Chapter Twenty**_

Lois stood next to Clark in front of the fireplace, his arm wrapped around her waist in a protective gesture as they watched Chloe's mouth work with no sound coming out. It was really quite funny to see.

"You're…pregnant? How did that happen?" She said eventually, when she had gotten her voice to work.

"Chloe," Lois took a step forward, laughing as she said. "If you need me to tell you that, then Jimmy's going to bitterly disappointed."

Chloe fixed her with an even stare. "You know what I meant Lois, I just can't believe this. I mean I suspected it when I saw you rush off to the bathroom earlier but…I never actually thought it could be true."

"I know, it does take a little while to sink in. But get used to the idea because in about four or six months, depending on whether this little one takes after his mom or his dad, there's going to be a baby screaming his lungs out for attention. And I'm gonna need all the help I can get. I haven't the first clue where to even start with something like this."

"I uh…well…" Chloe sank down on to the sofa, her legs giving out.

Jimmy chuckled and rubbed her back comfortingly. "It's okay honey, things like this do sometimes happen for married couples."

"Yes but they don't just happen to Clark!" She blurted out without thinking, then grimaced as she glanced up at the hurt frown on his face. "That didn't come out right. I'm sorry, it's just a little bit of a shock."

"Can't you just be happy for us Chlo?" Lois asked, suddenly nervous that this wasn't going as well as she had first thought. Chloe turned her eyes to Lois, studying her for a moment as if seeing her for the first time. Then all of a sudden, her expression changed into one of horror.

"Oh I'm sorry, I'm being a…of course I'm happy for you guys." She said, getting up and pulling both of them into a hug. "I just never thought of the two of you creating a little one. It never even entered my mind. But I am happy for you Lois, and you Clark. I know this is something you've always dreamed of and…" She trailed off, kissing both of them on the cheek.

"Oh my God! I'm going to have a little nephew!" She exclaimed excitedly.

Lois felt a little relieved as she hugged Chloe back and looked at the rest of the people currently occupying her living room. Kara was sitting on Oliver's lap in the chair next to the fireplace and Jimmy sat, with a wide grin on his face, on the sofa in front of them.

"Well, it might be a niece Chloe." Clark put in, and Lois felt her heart swell as she saw the proud grin on his face. He was finally starting to think about things long term, instead of the now. Just knowing that he was thinking about what sex the baby would be, told her a lot about how he truly felt about things now.

"Nope, I just have a feeling, it's going to be a boy. Don't ask me how I know, I just…have a feeling."

Lois and Clark laughed in unison as they shared a glance and then Lois turned her suspicious gaze to Kara.

"So Oliver already knew, but you Kara, considering you're Kryptonian and probably had the same thoughts Clark did, you don't seem all that shocked." Kara looked at her with a beaming smile.

"You told her?" Lois demanded, looking at a squirming Oliver. He held his hands up and shook his head.

"No, I promised you I wouldn't…"

"Then how?" Kara smirked as she tapped her ear and Lois understood. She had almost forgotten that Kara had super hearing too. "Oh, well, that's okay then."

"I am so pleased for both of you, it gives me hope that maybe one day, Ollie and I could…" Kara trailed off, a slight blush colouring her cheeks.

"It'll happen Kara. I know it." Lois replied confidently.

Jimmy abruptly stood and shook Clark's hand and then turned to Lois, unsure of how exactly to proceed as he hugged her gently, but quickly as if he were hugging a tame lion.

"Congratulations guys." He shook his head with a chuckle. "Lois Lane as a mom, now that I would love to see." Lois flinched but maintained her smile, after all, how was he to know that he had struck a nerve? But it still remained the one thing that Lois was worried about.

"So how is this going to work?" Chloe asked interrupting the silence that seemed to have befallen them all. "I mean, Lois is going to need doctors and things like that, and she can't just go to a regular hospital."

"I took care of that Chloe." Oliver said and Lois didn't miss the sceptical glance Clark shot him.

"Oh, well that's good. Things seem to be taken care of. So who is the doctor?"

Clark let out a huge breath as he wrapped his arm around Lois' waist again. "You're not gonna like it Chloe."

* * *

Later that evening, as Lois was in the shower, a million thoughts ran through her mind. First was Chloe's reaction to the news of her doctor, she had been as furious as Clark at first, but after a lot of explaining and coercing from her and Oliver, she had eventually backed down a little. But she still wasn't happy about it. She thought they were making a big mistake and after they had all left, Clark had sat Lois down and explained everything that had happened in the past.

She had to admit, it was a shock, but the woman she had met earlier, seemed nothing like the one Clark had described. She didn't know why, but she felt safe with Helen, she trusted her, though she knew she probably shouldn't. But the fact remained that Helen was probably one of the best people in the world to help them right now.

And it wasn't as if she was going to be alone with her, there was going to be another doctor with them and all files and samples were going to be kept in Oliver's safe. Both Clark and Oliver would be keeping a close eye on things, so she was as safe as she could be. It would be the same with anyone, she imagined. With something this big, who could they really trust? Sometimes, it was a simple case of better the devil you know.

She turned off the water and stepped out onto the mat, taking a moment to study her body in the full length mirror opposite. Turning sideways, she ran her hands over her belly, noticing the ever so slight bulge. It looked more like she was bloated, but as she placed both hands over her stomach, she felt a warmth surge through her chest. Her baby was in there. It was a little surreal.

"Hey there baby, I'm uh…" She paused, glancing around, feeling a little silly speaking to an empty room. It wasn't even as if the baby could hear her yet. Or could it? She had no idea, she should really get some books.

"I'm… your mommy. Listen, I know I'm not much, but I promise that I'll try to be the best I can. I may screw up from time to time, but I'm going to make sure, every day, that you know how much I love you. And your daddy, well he's just the best. He's had a little trouble adjusting to your presence, but I think we're through the worst of it now. He loves you already, so do I. He's just a little scared right now, but I know that once you're here, he'll be a different person. He will do anything to keep you safe, he'll love you and he'll…"

She sighed contentedly. "He'll be the best father anyone could ask for. So please baby, please make it through this. I know you can."

She had never pictured herself as a mother. She had no idea whether she would be any good or not. But she wouldn't allow herself to start thinking about that now, just as she wouldn't allow herself to think of what could go wrong. She would deal with it if or when the time came.

Making her way into the bedroom, she quickly slipped on her/Clark's shirt, and a pair of grey shorts, brushed her wet hair into a ponytail and made her way downstairs. When she had gone upstairs, Clark had been heading out to the barn to check the animals were all set for the night but she hoped that he was back inside. She just really wanted to cuddle up next to him and watch a movie or something. She needed to start relaxing, her blood pressure was still way too high, and she had to do something about it for her baby's sake.

Her breath caught in her throat as she reached the bottom step and saw Clark sitting in the living room. He was totally unaware of her presence, sitting there holding something in his hands, his attention was firmly rooted to it. She moved a little closer, silently, and recognised what it was. Her sonogram picture. He was studying it with the most intense look she had ever seen. She leaned over the back of the sofa and wrapped her arms around his chest, leaning her cheek against his.

"You okay?" He asked softly, turning his head to look at her.

"Never better Smallville."

He got up and she frowned as he walked over to the CD player, pressed a button and walked back over to her. Without a word spoken, he took her into his arms, and started swaying her gently, as the music began. As she realised what he'd put on, she realised, she had never been more in love with him then right now. He had put their wedding song on, the sappy one.

Wrapping one arm tightly around her waist, he pulled her body close to his so that there was barely an inch between them. He pressed her other hand to his chest and dropped his head to lean his forehead against hers.

"I love you." He whispered against her lips before closing his over hers. With her free hand, she reached up and let her fingers tangle in the hairs at the base of his head.

"I love you too." She replied, when he pulled back. "But what's with the sudden burst of romance?" She asked, not that she didn't secretly love it. He stared down at her with narrowed eyes, and swallowed hard.

"I heard what you said…upstairs…" He said, looking a little guilty.

"Oh, you were listening?" She asked, not angry but a little embarrassed.

"No I…well…yeah. But I didn't mean to…"

"Clark it's okay." She said, loving the way he got all flustered when he didn't know what to say. But she could see that this was clearly bothering him.

"Lois, you don't honestly think that you're going to be a bad mom do you?" He asked seriously. She blew out a breath and stayed silent for a few moments, letting him sway her gently.

"I don't know. My mom died when I was very young Smallville, I don't recall what it's like to actually have a mom. I have no idea what I'm doing right now, let alone when this little one arrives and actually needs taking care of. What if I screw this up?"

"You won't." He replied, his tone allowing no room for disagreement.

"Lois, it would be easy for me to say that I think you're going to make one heck of a mom but I know that you have your doubts. Let's face it, neither of us thought this could happen and because of that, we're unprepared. But forget about the diaper changing or sleeping habits or whatever else you're worried about, all that stuff we can learn over time. The reason _I know_you'll make a fantastic mom is this…" He lifted a hand to place it on her chest, over her heart.

"You have such a big heart Lois, with so much love to give, and that's all that should matter. I see the way you are with the people you care about, one hint of them being in danger or hurting about something and you're instinctively going into protective mode. It's one of the many things I love most about you. So trust me when I say, this baby is going to be so lucky to have you as a mom."

Lois couldn't stop the tears, whether from the softness of his tone and his words, or just her hormones, she didn't know. She allowed them to flow freely, letting him wipe them away with his thumbs as he cupped her face.

"I know that I haven't exactly been supportive over the last week, but I never for one minute wanted you to think that I wasn't happy about this. Because I am, I always dreamed of something like this happening. A family of my own."

"You weren't unsupportive Clark, you were just a little…distant, and I couldn't quite figure out why after you were so happy in the hospital."

"I'm so sorry Lois, I didn't mean to put you through that." The pain in his voice had her putting a finger to his lips, she couldn't bear to hear him talk like that.

"Sshh, it's okay. It doesn't matter now. Let's just start with a clean slate huh?" He nodded, tears glistening in his eyes too, and leaned his head down to capture her lips in a loving kiss.

"Besides, I think you telling my father tomorrow night will be all the payback I need."

She laughed as Clark's face fell. He'd clearly forgotten about that. She wondered why he was so nervous about it, after all they were married, it was only natural for them to take the next step and she knew that, even if he didn't show it, her father would be happy for them.

"But let's not think about that tonight. I just want spend the evening with my gorgeous husband, and forget the outside world for the night." He smiled as she nuzzled his neck.

"Now that, Mrs Kent, that I can do."

* * *

"So where's my daughter?" General Lane huffed as he and Clark sat in the restaurant the following night.

Clark shifted nervously in his seat as he checked his watch. Lois had told him to go ahead because she still had a few last minute things to do at work and she didn't want both of them standing her father up. Clark had reluctantly agreed, but sitting across from him now, his posture intimidating even to someone as powerful as Clark, he wished he hadn't.

"She said she'd be here soon. She's just finishing up at work."

Sam Lane let out a snort. "That girl just can't walk away from the place can she?"

"Well, you know Lois," Clark chuckled. Sam then surprised Clark by grimacing.

"Not as much as I should."

Clark didn't have time to ask about that statement as he noticed Lois walking towards them with a very displeased look on her face.

"Hey." She said shortly, plonking herself down in the seat next to Clark, opposite her father.

"That's all we get?" Sam questioned.

"Sorry," She stood up and kissed her father on the cheek. "Hi daddy, how are you?"

She sat back down, leaning over to kiss Clark, his eyes studied hers, searching for whatever was wrong with her. She had been fine when he'd left the Planet earlier.

"Doing good kid. But what's wrong with you?"

"Oh nothing. It can wait." She said, turning her attention to her menu.

"Lois Lane you tell me what's…"

She abruptly cut him off. "Kent, daddy! Lois Lane-Kent! Why does everyone keep forgetting that part?" She huffed out, angrily. Clark placed his hand over hers in a calming gesture, a warmth flooding his chest at her insistence to everyone to call her by her married name.

"Sorry," She mumbled after a moment of silence. "So Lucy didn't come with you I see?"

"No, she said to give you her apologies but she's in France and can't get away."

"Pfft, I'll bet _Pierre_is keeping her nice and busy." Lois said sarcastically, earning her a glare from her father.

"Lois, there's no need for that."

"Well, I'm sorry daddy but I wanted her to be here too."

"So…" Her father said, changing the subject. Clark knew that he wasn't going to get anything out of her anytime soon, so he just sat back and waited. "What's with the sudden dinner invitation? Not that I don't love seeing you, it's just you never ask me to come down."

"Well, uh…" She began but then looked over at Clark. She smiled knowingly at him as she said. "Clark and I have something to tell you daddy."

Sam Lane turned his sharp gaze to Clark. "Well, spit it out Kent."

Clark sat up straight. "Well, the thing is…sir…is," He paused for a second, feeling Lois squeeze his hand reassuringly. "Lois and I are…going to have a…baby."

Clark wasn't sure what he'd been expecting, but as the General narrowed his eyes and studied both of them for a good few minutes, he was pleasantly surprised when his face lit up into a smile.

"Well, that's wonderful news. So I'm going to be a grandfather eh? A little early in my calculations but I'll take it. You two deserve a little happiness after all you've been through. Congratulations." Judging from the shock on Lois' face, she hadn't been expecting that either.

"Okay, who are you and what have you done with my father?" She demanded.

Sam Lane simply leaned back in his chair and chuckled. "What did you expect Lo, me to beat Clark to a pulp? To lock you away in a dungeon? I'm really not that bad am I?"

Lois didn't reply but she did huff out a large scoffing noise, which the General ignored.

"Ah, my little Lo is going to be a mother. I'm proud of you. You've accomplished so much with your life. It may not be the path I had set out for you, but I know now that being in the military would never have made you happy. You belong here Lois, and I know that Clark takes good care of you. I must say that it's a relief not to have to worry about what trouble you're getting yourself into."

"Is it just me, or is old age starting to set in with you?"

"Lois!" Clark hissed.

"What? I'm just saying." Clark was happy with the way things were going this evening, why was she so determined to rock the boat?

"Look Lois, I know that I haven't exactly been the best father in the past, but I told you the truth in the hospital and on your wedding day, I want to make up for that. I know it may be too little too late, but I have to at least try. But this is the best news I have heard since I found out your mother was carrying you. She would be so proud of you Lo…She had such high hopes for you and Lucy when you were born."

"Daddy, stop it!" Lois said, quickly swiping away a tear, and Clark heard her mutter under her breath about her stupid hormones. He rubbed her back as she leaned against him. "But thank you, it really means a lot to me, well to both of us."

"You weren't worried about telling me were you?" Sam asked with a frown.

"Clark was." She chuckled and Clark felt as if the spotlight had been turned on him.

"I wasn't worried, I was just a little…well…" Sam chuckled as Clark struggled to get his words out.

"I like you Kent. You're a good lad, you love my daughter and you make her happy, that's all any father needs to know. Now…" He rubbed his hands together and perused his menu.

"Let's order shall we? I'm starving." Clark looked over at Lois, who was wearing the same expression he guessed must be evident on his face. What had just happened?

* * *

"So are you going to tell me what's wrong?" Clark asked as he flew high above the Metropolis skyline, heading for Smallville with Lois tucked safely in his arms.

The rest of the evening had flown by and after the nervousness had died down, Clark actually found himself having a good time. Who would've thought that was possible with General Sam Lane? He thought, with a chuckle.

"Nothing's wrong. I'm just still a little shell shocked at my father's reaction. I was fully expecting to have to go in, all guns blazing. But that just threw me for a loop. He's getting soft in his old age." She laughed as she snuggled closer to the warmth of Clark's broad chest. He tightened his protective hold on her.

"Lois, you know what I mean. What was wrong when you came storming in?"

"Oh that, well it is nothing really, but it got to me. Perry called me into his office after you left saying he had another job for me. I have to train a rookie, take him out on assignments with us and show him the ropes."

"And that made you angry?"

"No, well…yes. I like working with you on my own. We're a good team, and I don't want anyone messing with that."

Clark pressed a kiss to her forehead as he concentrated on flying. "Did you meet him?"

"Yeah, he's okay I guess. He reminds me of you in a way. Twenty years old, completely fresh to the news game, and a little bit of a geek in my opinion. But he's quite sweet, I suppose." She said icily.

"That's a bad thing?" Clark asked, deliberately ignoring the barb about him being a geek. He knew better than to start a fight with her when flying.

"Yes, because now I feel like I want to take him under my wing and help him. The news game can be brutal Clark, you know that. Ugh, you know, sometimes I could swing for Perry White."

"Don't sweat it Lo…it'll be fine. Once he learns Lois' rules of reporting, he'll be on his way and he won't need you anymore." Lois glanced up at him, a smile on her face as she kissed his jaw.

"I know I was overreacting, but why can't Perry choose someone else to do his bidding?"

Clark laughed and soared higher into the night sky. "Because, Lois, you're the best there is."

_**To Be Continued...**_


	22. Chapter 21

_**Chapter Twenty One**_

"At least tell me that you got the eye witness accounts at the bank?" Lois said on a sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration.

A shuffling noise made her look up to see her newest colleague shifting nervously in his stance as he stood next to her desk. He was quite tall with sandy blonde hair and blue eyes, and with a smile that could light up a room instantly. She supposed he was quite cute, in a high school musical kind of way. She could just see the girls lining up for him.

"I'm really sorry Lois, but everything just happened so fast and I…" He trailed off, avoiding her eyes. Blinking to ease the headache that was fast approaching, Lois groaned and stood up.

"That's how it's supposed to be. You have to be on the ball, you have to ready to spring into action."

"Sorry." He mumbled again.

"Look Toby, I know that you are still new to this but come on, seriously it's been three weeks now and you still haven't managed to do anything helpful yet."

"I bring you your tea." He defended weakly.

Lois felt bad for the kid, he was trying but she honestly didn't think that he was cut out for this kind of life. For three weeks she had been 'showing him the ropes' and it was starting to wear a little thin. He was constantly making mistakes, and bumbling his way through the bullpen.

She was still suffering with morning sickness and that wasn't helping her mood around him. Especially when she was trying to be discreet about her pregnancy and he followed her everywhere like a lost puppy. Clark had even laughed as he said that he thought Toby had a little crush on her. She hoped not. That was the last thing she needed to deal with right now.

"And is that why you were hired? To be my errand boy?" She asked, her tone strong, and unbeknownst to her, much like the one Perry often used.

"I didn't think so." She replied when all Toby could do was open his mouth soundlessly. "You have seriously gotta step up here Toby. I can't keep bailing you out. Pretty soon Perry is going to want my report on your first month here and I don't want to have to tell him that he chose the wrong guy." She said, her tone a little softer as Toby's face took on a sad look.

"You have a lot of potential Toby, I've seen your creds from Met U, you just need to step up to the plate and deliver."

"Okay, I promise I'll try harder. But today was just…wow. I can't believe I actually got to see Superman in action. He was awesome. I mean the way he just took those bullets and didn't even flinch, and then when he tied those robbers up…"

Despite her frustration, Lois found herself smiling at the way he talked about her husband. Sometimes she still found it hard to believe that she was married to Superman. Not only that, she was also having his baby. It was a little hard to wrap her head around at times.

"He sure was." She replied, rubbing a hand over her belly instinctively but discreetly. No one at work knew about the baby yet and she wanted to keep it that way for a little while longer. Well, except for Perry. He hadn't been too impressed when she'd told him and had immediately blamed Clark for putting one of his best reporters out of action for months. But when he had calmed down, he had been happy and gave them both his congratulations.

"So where's Clark?" Toby asked as he took a seat at Lois' desk. "I haven't seen him since you two arrived this morning."

"He's uh…checking out a few leads. He should be in soon. Hey, why don't you go and see what shots Jimmy was able to get this morning?" She asked.

Toby all but jumped out of his chair, grinned at her and said. "Sure thing Lois. I'll be right back."

"You know what, that's okay. I'm going to head out and get a couple of errands done while I have the time. I'll catch you later." She picked up her things and made a beeline for the door before Toby could respond. She just really wanted to get out of there and have five minutes to herself.

"Hello Lois." She'd barely made it out of the Planet's revolving doors when she heard his voice behind her. She didn't need to turn around to know who it was, she could practically hear the smirk in his voice.

"You know Lex, for a CEO of multi-billion dollar corporation, you sure do seem to have a lot of time on your hands." She said, turning around to face him. She hadn't seen him in a while but the sight of the scars on his face still surprised her. "Or has stalking me become one of your latest trends?"

"Stalking? Please Lois, you may think the world revolves around you…"

"No, I'm pretty sure that's you Lex." She cut in, smirking at him but inside she was a little wary. She hadn't seen him since the day she'd bumped into him, just before she'd found out she was pregnant. She had almost forgotten that he was back, he had done nothing to cause any attention to himself, but Lois was no fool. She knew he was always up to something.

He carried on as if he hadn't heard her. "Anyway, I was just passing by on my way to get some lunch. Say, why don't you join me?" He asked, his eyes making a slow assessment of her from head to toe and she resisted the urge to pull her jacket a little tighter around her. That would only raise suspicion in someone like Lex Luthor, he had a very keen eye and a sharp mind. It wouldn't take much for him to put two and two together.

"Gee I'm sorry Lex, I already ate. You should've called earlier and made an appointment." She replied, sarcasm dripping from her tone.

"Pity. You know Lois…" He stepped a little closer and she instinctively took one back. "It's a shame that we never really got off on the right foot. I think we could've been great…friends, given the chance."

"Given the chance? Seriously Lex, you can hear yourself right?" She laughed. "Oh and I never got a chance to thank you…"

Lex shoved his hands into his trouser pockets, rocked back and forth on his heels and smiled at Lois. "For what?"

"For sending me that dvd and opening my eyes. Things haven't been the same between Clark and I since I saw it." For a split second, Lois saw a flash of triumph and surprise in his eyes before it was quickly masked behind something else.

"I thought it was only fair that you should know what your husband thought of his break up with Lana. I have to admit, I was a little surprised that he hadn't told you about it."

"So it was you." She muttered. Lex's smile faded as he realised that he had been caught out. "I knew it."

"I was doing you a favour Lois. You deserve to know what kind of man…well, I use that term loosely, that your husband really is."

Unable to take the smile on his face any longer, Lois felt the rage build up inside her. Before she knew what she was doing, her fist had connected with the right side of his face, the side without the steel plate, knocking Lex backwards.

She couldn't hold in the laughter as he landed on his butt, looking up at her in shock. She stood over him as people around them began to stop and stare, looking down on him with disdain.

"I know exactly what kind of _man_ my husband is Lex. If you honestly thought that something like that was going to break us up, you really don't know me very well." She crouched down in front of him and spoke quietly.

"And if I were you, I really wouldn't go around publicising the fact that you planted a bomb in the middle of the city."

Lex smirked as he stood back up, but Lois could see that her words had rankled him. How was he to know that Clark had smashed up the evidence? For all he knew, she still had it.

"Or you might find yourself sharing a cell with your psycho protégé." She moved a little closer and stared him straight in the eye.

"I wonder what it is about you. That you feel the need to make everyone as miserable as you are. I know you loved Lana, it must really sting that a woman would rather fake her own death than be with you, and you hate Clark because she chose him over you. But guess what? Clark is happy now, he has me and I can quite honestly say that you don't factor in our lives as much as you seem to think. You may have the people of Metropolis fooled, but I know who you really are. And if you think that little tap I just gave you was something…trust me when I say you haven't seen anything yet."

As he watched her storm off, one of Lex's security guards appeared beside him.

"Sir are you alright?"

"Where the hell were you? I just got assaulted!" Lex didn't have to look at him to know that he was smiling at the prospect of Lex being beaten up by a woman.

"Do you want me to have her arrested sir?"

Lex thought about that. On the one hand it would teach her a lesson not to mess with him but on the other…what if what she'd said was true and she had evidence of what he'd done? He couldn't afford to take the risk, not when he was starting to get things back on track around here.

"No, leave her for now. She's no threat to me."

* * *

After returning to the Planet and finding that Lois wasn't there, Clark had eventually found her sitting in the large park opposite the Daily Planet on a bench, leaning her head back with her eyes closed.

He watched her for a moment before approaching. She looked so beautiful, the mid-afternoon sun made her skin glow and she looked…content. One hand was resting lightly on her belly as the other held a full cup of what he assumed was tea.

She still wasn't able to stand the smell of coffee and he wondered if it was normal that she was still being sick. All of the books they'd read in the last few weeks had said that it could last a long time but he had no way of knowing if this was due to her 'special' pregnancy or not.

"If you take a picture it'll last longer." She teased. Her eyelids fluttered open to reveal the beautiful hazel orbs that he loved so much. As they settled on him, he moved closer and sat down next to her.

"What are you doing out here? It's a little cold for you isn't it?" He asked, since winter was fast approaching and she wasn't wearing a jacket. The sunshine was misleading, it gave the allure of a hot summer's day until you actually stepped outside and felt the wind on your face.

"And how would you know that?" She asked with a smile. "You can't feel it." She reached over and took her hand in his, interlacing their fingers. "And I'm fine."

"So you wanna tell me why you're sitting alone in a park when you should be at the Planet?" He asked, placing his other hand over hers.

"I just needed to get out of there for a little while. Clear my head. Toby is driving me nuts."

Clark chuckled. "Give him a break Lois, he's trying. He and Jimmy seemed to be hard at work when I saw them."

Lois didn't respond, she just leaned her head on his shoulder and sighed.

"What is it?" He asked, knowing that something else was bothering her.

"I saw Lex again." She said and Clark immediately felt his protective streak kick in. He was wary of Lex already, but knowing that sooner or later, he would find out about the baby was seriously worrying him. He tried not to show it around Lois, he had promised her he would be supportive and that was what he was doing.

Keeping his voice even he said. "What did he have to say?"

"Well, he was his usual charming self. But I did get a little carried away…" She trailed off as she raised her head and he caught the sheepish look in her eyes.

"Lois, what did you do?" He asked, dreading the answer already.

"He was talking about you I just got a little angry and…well I sort of, hit him."

"Again?" Clark groaned. "Lois what were you thinking?"

"It was the hormones Clark. I wasn't in control of my actions." She said and he had to smile at the tone of her voice. Of course she would say something like that to break the tension.

He still didn't like that Lex had been so close her yet again. But what could he do about it? He couldn't force Lex to leave Metropolis. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him. Leaning his cheek on her head he inhaled the scent of her hair and placed a gentle kiss there.

"Lois, we need to be more careful. I don't want Lex finding out about the baby. I know he will eventually but for now, I just want you to be a little more cautious around him."

Clark placed a hand on her tummy, his thumb stroking gently against her shirt. Lately, he just couldn't get enough of touching her there, knowing that his baby was growing inside of her. It was so surreal and yet it felt so natural.

"I will. But you should've heard the way he was talking Clark. He sounded so smug I just wanted to wipe the grin off his face."

"Did you at least get a good hit in?"

"Oh yeah, I knocked him on his a**." Despite the seriousness of the situation, Clark found himself chuckling at the thought of Lex lying on the ground in front of his wife.

"He could have you arrested for this Lois." He said, the concern back in his voice. She let out a sigh and twisted to her side to face him.

"He won't. He thinks I have evidence of him planting a bomb in Metropolis. I got him to admit that he was the one who sent that dvd." Anger flashed in Clark's eyes for a moment.

"I knew it! I told you…" She clamped her hand over his mouth, silencing him.

"It doesn't matter. He now thinks we have something on him, he doesn't need to know that you destroyed it. Which if you think about it, was a pretty silly thing to do Smallville." She laughed.

"Yeah well, I was angry. Can you blame me?" Clark said, his face dark as he tried to block out the memory of coming home to find that dvd and that Lois was gone.

"I guess not." She reached up and turned his face towards her, capturing his mouth in a tender kiss.

"Hmm." He moaned. "We should get going Lo. We have an appointment with Helen remember?"

"Is it that time already?"

"Yeah, come on."

Since the new Queen Industries building wasn't far from where they were, Clark decided to walk with Lois, enjoying the time alone with her.

"Oh I almost forgot…" He said suddenly, reaching into his jacket pocket. "Look what I got."

He handed it to her and watched her expression change from one of curiosity to one of pure love.

"Smallville, it's adorable." In her hands she held a small stuffed toy. A baby seal with the biggest, round black eyes and whitest fur she had ever seen. He grinned proudly at her.

"I saw it in a small kids store in Paris and I just…I don't know, I just really wanted to get it."

She turned to him and right before she wrapped her arms around his neck, he thought he saw tears in her eyes.

She hugged him tightly. "Thank you. I love it."

"It's nothing really, I just wanted to get something for the baby." He shrugged when she pulled back. He was bemused that it was having such an affect on her. After all, it was only a stuffed toy.

She cupped his cheek with one hand. "You are the most adorable, sweet guy I have ever met." She leaned in and kissed him. "And I love you so much."

"I love you too. Now…let's get going before we end up being late."

**_To Be Continued..._**


	23. Chapter 22

_**Chapter Twenty Two**_

"So how are you doing Lois?" Helen asked as Clark and Lois sat down. For all intents and purposes, this had become as close to a hospital as Oliver could get. But Helen had told them that she would need to be working in a proper hospital when it came to the time that Lois was due. She didn't feel comfortable delivering a baby without the proper equipment to take care of both mother and child.

Lois looked over at Clark who was holding her hand rather possessively and sat poised, as if ready for action. She rolled her eyes, was he ever going to relax? She knew he still had his issues with Helen and while she couldn't exactly blame him, she wished that he would just let it go and trust her. Something inside her was telling her to trust this woman. And Lois Lane-Kent was a woman who had learned to listen to her instincts.

"I'm good thanks. Though none of my clothes are fitting me anymore." She grumbled, rubbing her growing stomach gently. It was starting to get harder to hide it, she had no doubt people would be talking soon enough.

Helen chuckled. "Well, you're in your thirteenth week now soon to be entering the fourteenth, so a shopping trip might be in order. But how are you feeling? Still nauseas?"

"I'm actually feeling a lot better lately, not as tired, but yeah, still getting sick though it has eased up a little."

"Is that normal?" Clark asked, his face set in determination.

"Well…" Helen leaned back in her chair and folded her arms. "Yes it can be Clark. I don't think there's anything to worry about there. I mean of course this pregnancy is going to be a little unpredictable, but Lois is in her second trimester and seems to be doing fine. A lot of women can suffer from morning sickness throughout the whole pregnancy. If it gets too bad, I can prescribe something but I really only want to do that as a last resort."

"So did Oliver mention anything about the other doctor he was supposed to be hiring?" Clark asked and Lois saw Helen's face fall.

"Clark!" She hissed.

"What? I told you Lois, I don't want her alone on this."

While Lois continued to glare at Clark, Helen stood up and walked over to the window, looking out on the street below. Lois saw she was holding something in her hand, rubbing it gently between her thumb and fore finger. A necklace that she was wearing around her neck. As she turned to face them, Lois saw that it was a wedding band. She was still obviously missing her husband. Lois could empathise, she didn't know what she would do if something ever happened to Clark.

"It's okay Lois. It's going to take time to trust me again, but I swear I'm going to do everything I can to earn that trust. But Oliver is working on it as we speak. Now…" She plastered on a fake smile.

"Let's take a look at what's going on in there shall we?"

Helen left the room whilst Lois changed into her gown, Clark stood over by the window, looking deep in thought. She got herself settled onto the bed and placed the blanket over her legs.

"Hey," She said softly. "Where are you right now?"

He walked over to her and leaned down to place a quick kiss on her forehead. "Are you okay?" She asked, he took her hand in his and kissed the back of it.

"I'm great Lo." He replied, a small smile tugging at his lips.

"Smallville, can you do something for me?"

"Anything."

"Could you at least try to be nice to Helen? I think she's really suffering with the loss of her husband. I know you don't trust her, and I understand your reasons but…"

"Lois…" She held up her hand to stop him and continued.

"No listen Clark, this is important to me. I'm excited, happier than I ever thought I could be in a situation like this, but I'm scared too. Helen makes me feel comfortable, I don't know why. I can't explain it. I just…I feel like I can trust her."

Clark stared down at her for a few silent moments. "I don't know if I can Lo…"

"I'm not asking you to trust her right now. I'm just asking that you be a little more polite to her. I'm the one who's having this baby Clark, I need to feel safe and that's how Helen makes me feel."

"But what if you're wrong Lois? What if she can't be trusted?"

"We'll deal with that if it happens. But I really think that she's okay. Please…just give her a chance, for me?" Clark cupped her cheek and leaned down to kiss her again.

"Okay Lois, I'll try to be nicer. If she makes you feel…comfortable…then I'll try."

"Thank you."

"Okay Lois, are we all set?" Helen asked as she walked back into the room carrying a folder with her paperwork on and her stethoscope.

"Ready when you are doc." Lois grinned, placing one arm behind her head as Clark kept hold of her hand.

Helen quickly got to work. "Well, looks like your blood pressure is finally starting to drop. That's good, but its still a little high for my liking. Do you have any unnecessary stress going on right now?"

Lois thought about the stress that she was enduring just from today. First Toby and then punching Lex, that probably hadn't helped but it had felt good.

"Isn't it all unnecessary?" She laughed, but quickly quietened down when nobody joined in.

"Well I'm not too concerned at this point considering it has been a lot higher. But I want you to try and get as much rest as you can, avoid any stressful circumstances and just…relax more."

"I think I can manage that." Lois smiled. Helen returned it and nodded, then brought the sonogram machine forward. She rolled up Lois' gown and spread some of the gel onto her stomach.

"Ah!" Lois hissed.

"What is it? Are you alright?" Clark asked, instantly on alert. Lois giggled and nodded down to her abdomen.

"The gel's just a little cold Smallville."

"Oh," He replied, looking a little embarrassed.

"Okay Lois, Clark, it's time to see how your baby is doing." Helen moved the apparatus over the gel, spreading it across the lower part of her stomach and started pressing buttons here and there.

"Huh, that's…" Helen started, a frown appearing.

"Is everything okay?" Lois asked, her smile fading as she watched Helen tap away at the keyboard, studying the screen intently. "Helen?"

"Ah, there you are. Sorry about that, the picture is a little fuzzy today. I can't seem to get it any clearer but…" She pointed to the screen. "There's your baby. Doing just fine."

Lois sighed as she saw the tiny little blob in the centre of the screen and as she watched, the sound of the baby's heartbeat filled the room. She saw Clark lean forward, squinting his eyes as he stared hard.

She watched his reaction, he had already seen a picture but this was the first time he was seeing it at the same time as her and he looked like he was having a little trouble composing himself. His breath was a little shallow and the hand that was holding hers, was shaking.

"Is it…he or she…okay?" He asked, his voice sounded a little strange. Helen smiled at his reaction.

"So far everything appears to be perfectly normal Clark."

"So how big is the baby?" He asked, his eyes wide with wonder as he looked.

"Well, at this stage, the baby should be about three inches long, which is about right for this one. It should also weigh about eighty ounces. That's just a general idea though, each pregnancy is different and this…well, this one I would say, is definitely unique. But the heartbeat is strong and fast, so he or she doing just fine. The baby is now starting to take on the form of an actual baby, the neck is getting stronger, meaning it can turn its head. Sucking muscles are now developing, if you watch closely, you should be able to see something…"

Helen gently prodded Lois' bump, and zoomed the image in a little. "Well, the image isn't as clear as it should be but, if you prod very gently, the baby can sense it and will respond with jerky little movements."

"So when will we be able to feel the baby kick?" He asked eagerly and Lois couldn't believe how cute he was being.

"Well it depends. Most women start to feel something around eighteen weeks but from the inside. You won't be able to feel it until at least twenty two, maybe a little later or earlier. Like I said it depends and considering the uniqueness of this pregnancy, and who his father is, I'm betting that this little one is going to be strong, but it's a waiting game I'm afraid."

"Wow…" Clark whispered. He turned his head to look down at Lois and she saw a tear in his eye as he smiled. "That's amazing. That's our baby, Lo…"

"Yeah, there he is." Lois replied, in awe of how much Clark was now starting to take to this. There wasn't a single doubt in her mind that he would be an amazing father. He was already in love with their baby, just as much as she was. She smiled up at him, and he winked at her before turning his head back to the monitor. His wide eyes were taking in every detail.

"We did that Lois." He said quietly, and Lois just couldn't help but chuckle.

"I know, I was there at the time Smallville."

* * *

Back at work, Clark felt as if he were on cloud nine for the rest of the day. Not even Toby could irritate him. Or Lois for that matter. He had been watching her for most of the afternoon, unable to tear his eyes away from her, she was just…so beautiful. And she looked so happy. The happiest he'd seen her in a long time. He felt incredibly blessed right now.

"Well, I never thought I would actually say this Toby but…" Lois' voice broke Clark out of his thoughts. He looked over at his wife, who was smiling as she absent mindedly rubbed her stomach and his heart skipped a beat.

"You actually did well today. How did you get all these?" She asked, rifling through a bunch of papers.

Toby grinned proudly at her. "I went back to the scene of the crime while you were out and got a few quotes from the police and a couple of people that were still hanging around. They were only too happy to talk to me after I said I was from the Daily Planet."

"Well, colour me impressed. Good job. But don't get too cocky, you've gotta write the article yet."

"What?" Toby asked, shocked. "You didn't say I would be doing that."

"Well it's what you're here for isn't it? There's no time like the present Toby, now get to work. I wanna see a final draft on my desk by morning." Clark chuckled to himself at the interaction and as Toby walked off, looking very intimidated, Lois came and perched herself on the corner of his desk.

"Don't you think you should've told him that we already wrote the article and its on its way to press as we speak?" Clark asked with a grin.

"Nah, he'll find out tomorrow, this'll be good practice for him. He needs to learn that there are such things as deadlines." She crossed one leg over the other and placed her hands behind her, leaning back on them as she smiled at him.

"So, I'm thinking, we should grab take-out on the way home tonight."

"What, you don't wanna cook?" He asked sarcastically, scooting his chair over so that he was sitting directly in front of her.

"Ha ha. Funny Smallville. Keep that up and I will cook, and I will make you eat every last bite." She warned. He held up his hands in surrender and chuckled.

"Okay, I fold. What would you like?"

"Hmm…I could really go for some Chinese. And after dinner we could…have an early night?" She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively at him. "Your mom's moving back tomorrow Smallville, tonight's our last night alone together. I say we make the most of it." He leaned over and kissed her.

"Oh we will Lois, I'm sure we'll be able to think of something." He replied, winking at her and was rewarded with a blush. He loved that he could still make her cheeks heat up, she wasn't as unflappable as she claimed to be. And besides, she loved doing it to him so it was only fair he got some revenge once in a while.

He frowned as he thought of what Helen had told them. "Lo…maybe we should hold off on…well, you know. Just until your blood pressure is back to normal."

"Are you kidding me Smallville?" She leaned in close and nuzzled his neck, making him shiver. "That's the best kind of stress relief there is. I think it's even doctor prescribed." She laughed.

"Lois?" They both turned their heads to see that Toby had reappeared and wasn't looking very happy.

"What's up Toby? You burnt a fuse already?" She laughed.

"I just overheard something and I don't know what to think about it." Clark frowned as he noticed Toby avoiding eye contact with him, he was clearly upset about something.

"Well spit it out." Lois replied, seriously.

"Are you pregnant?" Both Clark and Lois froze as they shared a glance.

"What business is it of yours?" Lois asked, her tone frosty. Toby shoved his hands into his trouser pockets and looked straight at Lois, ignoring Clark completely.

"I heard some women talking about you possibly being pregnant as they walked past me. Is it true?"

"Uh Toby, that's a little personal don't you think?" Clark said, trying to be polite but he was out of line just blurting the question out like that. He knew that they wouldn't be able to hide it for much longer, but they weren't exactly ready to announce it either. However, it appeared that people were already guessing.

For the first time since reappearing, Toby glanced over at Clark and suddenly became nervous.

"Uh yeah I'm uh…I'm so sorry Lois. I didn't mean to just…well it's really none of my concern."

"That's right. It isn't." She replied flatly.

"But I've uh, well I see the way you sometimes rub your stomach and there has been something different about you lately. If it is true, I would just like to say…" He held his hand out and smiled nervously. "Congratulations?"

Lois stared at his hand and Clark could tell she was deciding whether to accept his offering or tear his hand off. At the moment, Clark would've been fine with the latter. Eventually, she stood up and leaned closer to Toby, lowering her voice.

"Well Toby, for the record, yes it's true. But don't go blurting it out to everyone, we're trying to keep this quiet for now." Lois said, relenting a little as she shook his hand.

"Sure, sure no problem Lois. I promise I won't say a word." He scanned Lois from head to toe, making Clark feel a little on edge. "But I must say that I think you're going to be a great mom."

"Really?" Lois appeared taken aback by that statement.

"Absolutely. You'll be the best. You take care of me, you help me out, you make me better than I thought I could be. You are amazing Lois. I'm sorry I just barged in here, I wasn't thinking."

Clark stood up and shook his hand. "It's okay Toby, just don't make a habit of it yeah?"

"I won't, sorry Clark." He shifted in his stance as he looked at Clark and then turned and walked out.

"Well," Lois said after he left. "That was weird."

"I think Toby definitely has a crush on you." Clark said, but this time there was no humour in his voice. "You could see he was devastated. I'm going to have to keep my eye on him."

"You don't have to worry about him Smallville, I'm not planning to run off with any twenty years olds. I have my own toy boy right here." She giggled.

"Hey, I'm only a year younger than you." He stepped closer and wrapped his arms around her in a protective embrace.

She sighed quietly. "I guess we can't really hide this anymore can we?" She asked. He captured her mouth in a sweet kiss.

"No, I guess not."

* * *

Lex paced the floor of his study in Smallville later that evening, rubbing his temples in a effort to relieve the headache brought on earlier by a loud mouthed reporter and her right hook. He had to give it to her though, it was a heck of a good shot. Caught him off guard completely.

But thinking back on his confrontation with her earlier that morning, he thought that there was something different about her. She looked different, she was acting her usual abrasive self but her body language was seriously out of sync with her tongue. What was she hiding? There had to be something.

He continued pacing as he ran his mind through every word, every little look and gesture but couldn't come up with an answer. He was disturbed from these thoughts when one of his security guards entered the room.

"I thought I told you I didn't want to be disturbed?" He said, staring into the flames of the fire burning in the hearth.

"I'm sorry Mr Luthor but you have a visitor. He says it's important." Lex sighed and closed his eyes for a second.

"Fine, send him in." He walked over and sat behind his desk just as the man in question walked in the room.

"Ah, it's you. What do you have for me?"

"Nothing sir." He replied nervously.

"Nothing? You sure about that? I'm not paying you to sit around on your ass. Now tell me, what have you heard lately, there must be something?" The man looked down at the floor as if deciding whether or not to divulge whatever he must've found out.

Eventually, fear won out and he said. "Well, I did find something out today, but I'm not even sure that it's true." He stepped forward, the flames casting a glow on his face.

"But I heard that Lois Lane-Kent is pregnant."

Lex leaned back in his chair. All of a sudden the pieces of the puzzle were starting to come together. Lois had been acting protective of something, she'd had a pretty good grip on her jacket and a few weeks ago, she had almost passed out right in front of him. How could he have missed that?

"Well, well, well. Clark Kent is going to be a father. Unbelievable." He looked up at his visitor.

"Oh you're dismissed Toby. But, I want you to give me daily updates on what's happening with them."

"Excuse me for asking sir but…" Toby edged his way towards the door, looking relieved to be leaving. "Why do you have such a grudge against Lois and Clark?"

Lex's mouth curved up into a malevolent smile. "None of your business Toby, you just do what you're paid to do and keep your mouth shut."

_**To Be Continued...**_


	24. Chapter 23

_**Chapter Twenty Three**_

"So tell me, how is my granddaughter doing?" Martha asked, patting Lois' knee as she sat herself down on the sofa next to her. They had just gotten back from their meeting with Helen earlier that morning.

"Granddaughter?" Clark replied from the kitchen, where he was preparing lunch. "What makes you so sure it's going to be a girl, mom?"

"Just a hunch." She shrugged her shoulders and rubbed Lois' bump lovingly.

She was starting to get bigger now, being just under five months gone. Everyone at work knew about the baby and for the most part, had been nice about it. There were the usual snipy comments from the women who were still obviously bitter that she had married Clark, but apart from that, all was good.

Toby was still acting a little strangely though, but she wasn't concerned, if he had a crush on her that was his problem, not hers. She had more important things to worry about. He had kept to himself, only talking to her when he needed to ask a question but since he'd been given his own desk, he'd pretty much left her alone. He was nice to her, but a little cold towards Clark. Though she had been surprised when Perry decided to keep him on.

Clark had been so attentive and sweet. He went out to fetch her favourite food from wherever she wanted, he gave her massages when her feet were aching, and he had brought her a cuddly toy from each place he had visited in the past month.

The bedroom closet was almost close to being filled with them. She had visions of opening the door and being buried beneath a mountain of stuffed animals. But he put so much thought into each one, wanting to get them for the baby and she didn't have the heart to tell him to stop.

"The baby's doing fine, we think, Helen's been keeping a close eye on things. She's ordering a new sonogram machine because she can't get a clear image of the baby but she suspects that due to Clark's DNA, the amniotic sac and placenta are kind of forming a protective layer, effectively blocking anything from seeing it."

"She suspects? Is that safe? I mean if you can't see what's going on in there…" Martha said, her brow creasing in concern.

"Well she can't hear the heartbeat either but Clark can so it appears that modern technology is no match for a Kryptonian baby and everything else seems fine. My blood pressure has even gone back to normal so overall, I think she's happy. But she did take some blood, and she's going to do a little more research."

Lois glanced over at Clark, who still wasn't happy that Helen now had Lois' blood in her possession. But it had been her decision, and she was doing whatever it took to keep her baby safe. If she was honest, she would have to admit that not being able to see or hear the baby was scaring the crap out of her, and even though all the books they'd read lately told her she should've felt it kick by now, she had yet to feel anything. But as long as Clark could hear the heartbeat, and it was strong, she would have to be satisfied with that for now.

"So do you have an actual due date yet?"

"No not really, there's just no easy way of knowing. Could be in two months, could be four. We just don't know and since I'm human, Jor-El has no idea. But he thinks that everything's okay so far. I have to admit that I'm a little worried about having the baby at seven months, that would be just before Christmas. But how would I explain it to people?"

"Lois, you're getting a little ahead of yourself don't you think? You just have to be patient sweetheart, I'm sure she'll make her appearance when she's good and ready. And if she comes a little earlier than expected, well, lots of babies are born prematurely." Martha replied, stroking Lois' arm comfortingly.

"You know, Chloe is adamant that its going to be a boy." Lois said, chuckling, deciding to change the subject before she depressed herself by thinking too much. "And she refuses to be swayed. Hey, wanna place a bet?"

Martha laughed as Clark peered around the corner with a look of shock on his face. "You're placing bets on my baby now?"

"Why not? Might as well make some money out of getting fat." Lois laughed. "Oh relax Smallville, I'm kidding."

Martha patted her bump again and chuckled. "Well far be it from me to disagree but I really think that this little one is going to be a girl."

Clark groaned as he walked in the room and sat down next to Lois. "Great, another woman to boss me around." Lois nudged him playfully.

"I do actually kinda hope that it is a boy, that way I'll at least have a little back up around here."

"You know you love it Smallville. Why else would you keep coming back for more?" She said with a smug grin.

"Must be a glutton for punishment." He murmured, grinning when she scowled at him.

"Martha? Please tell your son that it's not wise to mock the woman he got pregnant. With all these hormones, I'm not sure what I'm capable of." She said, her eyes never leaving his while she spoke to Martha. "Even to Superman."

Clark just grinned even more and leaned in for a kiss, then chuckled when she reared her head back away from him. But she was happy that he was back to his old bantering self with her. Strangely enough, that had been one of things she had missed the most. In the last two months, it felt like things were finally returning to normal. Well, as normal as they could be anyway.

"Well I must say, its so nice to be back home." Martha said as she chuckled at the pair of them. She had been back for two months and was settling back nicely into her old way of life. Lois wondered how she could go from being a state senator to living back at the farm with such ease but when she asked her, Martha had said it was easy because this was her home, it was where her heart was.

"We've really missed you around here mom. It's been so great to have you back." Clark said seriously, peering around Lois to look at her.

Martha smiled at him lovingly, but then her expression turned a little sad. "It's going to be so quiet when you two move out."

Lois shared a quick glance with Clark. "Uh actually Martha, we were kinda hoping that you wouldn't mind us sticking around a little while longer. Just until the baby's born."

At Martha's frown Clark said. "It's just that, we are going to be looking for the right place and things are so hectic what with work and stuff. And with Lex still around, I want Lois and the baby to be safe and I think that this is the perfect place for that. I mean I'm not always going to be around. And also, we wanted to spend as much time with you as possible."

"Sweetheart, you don't have to pitch to me. You know I would love you both to stay as long as you want. This is your home too."

Lois reached over and hugged her. "Thanks Martha."

Martha sighed. "Are you ever going to call me mom?"

"I'm working on it. Hey, at least it's not Mrs K anymore." Lois laughed.

"I guess that is an improvement." Martha replied, looking down at the floor. "So, I see someone is still clingy?"

"I am not!" Clark defended, which caused both women to burst out laughing. "What?"

"I meant Shelby, Clark," Martha said, looking down at the golden haired pooch as he lay spread out at Lois' feet.

"Oh…yeah." Clark replied, a little embarrassed.

"Yeah he refuses to leave me alone. He's getting worse as the weeks go by."

"I had noticed. Aw, he certainly is protective of you." Martha mused.

"Tell me about it. He doesn't even like me getting too close." Clark grumbled. "If I wake up once more to find him lying between us, I'm seriously thinking of…"

"Don't even finish that sentence Smallville." Lois warned.

"I was only going to say he should sleep in the barn." He smiled. "But you know I would never do that."

"You better not."

"But he is going to be sleeping down here from now on." Clark said, defiantly.

Shelby raised his head, as if he knew that they were talking about him. He got up and strategically placed his head on Lois' lap, nudging Clark's hand away from her bump with his nose.

"See what I mean? I don't know why he's like this, he knows I would never hurt Lois or the baby so what's his problem?" Clark said, looking a little annoyed. Lois scratched Shelby's ear and leaned in close to kiss his head, murmuring 'good boy'.

"Don't encourage him Lo…"

Lois looked over at him, about to reply with a sarcastic remark but before she could, she caught the distant look on his face as his super hearing kicked in.

"Clark?"

"I have to go," He said getting up. "There's a fire in Granville, pretty bad one."

"Well be careful." She said.

Even though Superman was invulnerable to everything except kryptonite, she still worried about him. He leaned down and kissed her as he rubbed her belly, then kissed Martha on the cheek and quickly changed and took off.

Lois turned her attention back to Shelby, who was still sitting with his head in her lap.  
"You know Shell, you're going to have to back off a little. I think you're making him a little paranoid." She chuckled as Shelby whined and went back to lay near the fireplace.

"Come on, let's get some lunch." Martha said, helping Lois up.

As they reached the kitchen Martha busied herself with the lunch that Clark had started and Lois sat herself down onto a stool at the counter.

"Are you going back to work today?" Martha asked.

"Yeah…" Lois' answer was cut off by a knock on the back door.

"Mrs Kent?" A deliveryman stood on the other side, smiling politely as he held out a package for her.

Her mind briefly flitted back to the last time she had received a package, and for a second, all she could do was stare at him. She shook her head to get rid of those thoughts and smiled. "Yep, that's me,"

"Sign here please ma'am." She frowned as she looked down at the package, signed her name and then closed the door as he left.

"Do I look like a ma'am to you?" She grumbled under her breath as she placed the package down on the counter and stared at it.

"What's that?"

"I have no idea, I wasn't expecting anything." She ripped open the brown wrapping paper to reveal a white box with a pink bow around it. She lifted the lid and gasped as she looked inside.

"What is it sweetheart?" Martha asked, seeing Lois' face, she stepped around the counter and looked inside the box where a small, antique-looking silver spoon lay. Attached to it was a small card that read 'Congratulations Mr and Mrs Kent'

"Oh that's pretty, who's it from?"

"I don't know, there's no name on the card. You don't think…?" Lois paused, glancing at Martha worriedly.

"Lex?" Lois nodded. "We don't know that for sure honey,"

"Martha, look at it, this had to have been expensive. It's an antique! It has to be Lex. No one else would be sending me gifts like that." She threw it back in the box and closed it.

Walking over to the window, she crossed her arms protectively over her stomach and sighed, a sense of foreboding washing through her. "He's playing games already."

* * *

"You better not be holding out on me Toby, I doubt Perry White would take too kindly to hiring someone with your kind of criminal record. You're lucky that I stepped in. So think carefully before you answer me. What else have you found out?"

Lex paced his study in his Metropolis office, cell phone in one hand, a glass of brandy in the other. He was getting increasingly annoyed at Toby's lack of assistance. When he'd hired him, he'd been a young lad fresh out of a sixteen month prison sentence for car-jacking. As soon as Lex had returned to Smallville to discover that Clark and Lois were married, he'd decided that he would need his own eyes and ears around the Daily Planet.

He was no fool, there was no way he was going to go up against Superman, but Clark Kent was a different matter. He had taken something very important from Lex, the love of his life, and that still didn't sit well with Lex. If it weren't for the fact that Lana had wanted to be on an even playing field with him, she would never have had the idea of stealing the power suit from Lex.

Not to mention the fact that Clark was Superman, thinking he was above them all, thinking that his superiority gave him the right to do whatever he wanted. It would've been all too easy to expose him, but who would've believed it? Lex's credibility had taken a serious knock in recent years, something he was still trying to fix.

There was still the matter of Oliver Queen to deal with. He would get his company back, one way or another. But for now, he wanted to find out everything he could about this baby. He'd thought Clark was the only alien, but with the arrival of Kara and then this child, it appeared that the Kryptonian race was not as extinct as Lex had been led to believe.

"It's not easy to find anything out since you won't tell me exactly what I'm supposed to find out. All I know is, they were talking about seeing some doctor this morning. I assume they're still there. They haven't come back yet." Toby's voice came through, sounding very nervous. Lex loved the effect he could have on people.

"What doctor?"

"I don't know, I think she's a private doctor. Someone by the name of Helen Carter. That's all I know, I swear." __

Helen Carter? Lex frowned. It couldn't be…

"Mr Luthor?"

"That's all for now Toby, I want you to try and find out as much as you can. Remember, I hold the cards here, it would be all too easy for me to take away the job you seem to love so much."

"Yes sir. I understand."

Lex hung up and walked back over to his desk. His suspicions were going into overdrive. There was no way she would reappear, not here. She wouldn't be that stupid. But he knew that it was a possibility.

He'd thought he'd never have to hear her name again, not after he'd taken his revenge for what she'd done to him. But no, Helen Bryce was back, and working for Clark.

A slow smile crept up his face as he realised, that maybe, just maybe he could make this work to his advantage.

_**To Be Continued...**_


	25. Chapter 24

_**Chapter Twenty Four**_

Clark's eyes slowly fluttered open to find Lois stirring restlessly in her sleep during the night. She kept shifting her position from lying with her head on his chest, to rolling over and laying on her back, to his chest again. She didn't stay still for longer than five minutes.

"Lois, you awake?"

"Ugh!" She huffed and then settled herself on her back again.

"What's wrong?"

"I can't get comfortable." She grumbled. He rolled onto his side and faced her, smiling sympathetically.

"Can I do anything?"

"No, I just…" She squirmed a little more and rolled over to face him. "I can feel him moving. It's like he has ants in his pants." They often called the baby a 'he' now, it was easier than saying he or she. Clark chuckled at the image she presented and spread his large hand over her equally large bump.

He sighed, disappointed. "I can't feel anything yet."

"We should be able to feel it by now." She frowned. "I'm six months pregnant Clark, I feel him squirming around in here all the time but I have yet to feel him actually kick."

The worried tone of her voice had Clark leaning his head down to her belly, placing his ear against her bump as he listened. No matter how many times he heard it, it never failed to amaze him.

"He's fine Lo don't worry, I can hear the heartbeat. It's strong. And I can actually hear him moving around in there." He said, in awe. "Maybe we can't feel it for the same reason we can't see him. Maybe the baby's protected by…"

She cut him off by saying. "I just wish we could see what's actually going on in there. It's so frustrating. We're missing it Clark, he's growing and we're missing it. It's okay for you, you can hear it."

Clark brought his head back up and leaned forward to capture her lips in a loving kiss, hoping to bring her some comfort. It occurred to him that when he first found out, he was the one freaking out about the safety of his wife and child and now things were on the other foot, Lois was worrying and he was the one calming her down.

He wrapped an arm around her waist and brought her in close, smoothing his hand up and down her back as she deepened the kiss. She hooked one of her legs over his and groaned as his lips moved to her neck.

Clark could never get enough of this woman, she was irresistible to him. Her skin was so soft, and smelled fantastic, he just wanted to cover every inch of it with his kisses. It was intoxicating. Every sense he had, was filled by her.

Pregnancy definitely agreed with her, he thought. She looked amazing. Her curves were filling out in all the right places, and her eyes held a twinkle that he hadn't seen for a while.

"It'll be okay Lois, I promise." He whispered against her shoulder.

As he began unbuttoning her flannel shirt, he nibbled his way along her collar bone, eliciting a moan from her. He felt her fingers tangle in his hair and as he pulled back to look at her, he saw the love shining in those hazel eyes that held him so captivated.

"Are you feeling a little better now?" He asked.

"Not really, you're pressing the baby into my bladder Smallville and now I have to pee." She chuckled.

"Oh, sorry." He let her go and watched her walk through to the bathroom, his flannel shirt coming down to her bare thighs, her brown, wavy hair swinging as she walked. He closed his eyes and laid back down, smiling as he heard her humming a lullaby to their child. It was a habit she'd developed lately and she didn't even know she was doing it half the time.

Every time he heard her talking to their baby, his heart skipped a beat and part of him just still couldn't accept that it was really happening. Things like this just didn't happen for Clark Kent. He had been so happy when he'd married Lois that he thought that that was it. That was all he was getting and he would've been perfectly happy with just that. She was more than he deserved.

But now, he was gonna be a dad. He was excited beyond belief, he couldn't wait for the day when he would be able to see his little baby, but a very small part of him still wondered whether he was cut out to be a father.

"Clark?" He opened his eyes to see her standing in the doorway. "Do you think I waddle?"

"What?" He almost let out a burst of laughter at her question but the serious expression she wore told him it wouldn't be a good idea. Her moods were all over the place lately. Lois was by far, the strongest woman he knew, but even she was no match for the raging hormones and every so often, he would see her with barely disguised tears that appeared over nothing.

"Chloe says I waddle now." She replied, walking over to the bed. He couldn't believe his eyes. Was Lois Lane-Kent pouting? Couldn't be. Lois never pouted. "Is that true?"

"No, of course not. Chloe shouldn't have said that. Come here." He held the duvet up for her to climb in, making a mental note to have a word with Chloe Olsen, and once she was settled, he wrapped it around her and held her body close to his.

"You're biased anyway but I love you for it." She mumbled. "I didn't think I was big enough to be waddling just yet."

"Lois, you don't waddle. Trust me, I know." She raised her head to grin at him. Her hair was all mussed up, her cheeks were flushed, but in that moment, she looked so incredibly sexy it was all he could do to keep his hands off her.

"So you're still checking me out huh?" She teased.

Without thinking, he replied. "You're kinda hard to miss Lo…"

Clark's smile faded as he realised that what he'd just said had hit a rather delicate nerve and before she sat up and turned away from him, he saw tears build in her eyes.

"No Lois, hey I didn't mean…" He tried to pull her back towards him but she turned to him with angry eyes. "I just meant that you're too beautiful to…"

"Don't!" She said, and she pushed him back. The next thing Clark knew, he had landed on the floor beside the bed with a loud thud. _What the…?_

He peered over the bed to see Lois sitting there looking at him in surprise but as soon as she saw the look of what he could only guess was complete shock on his face, she burst out laughing.

"Oh my God, that was so funny Smallville…" She said, holding her sides as the laughter kept coming. "You should see your face!"

"Lois," He climbed back up onto the bed. He didn't think she realised just what this meant. Heck, he didn't even know what it meant.

"What?" She wiped the tears from her eyes, the laughter slowly beginning to subside.

"You pushed me off the bed." His tone just made her laugh even more, until she started to get a stitch in her side and had to stop.

"Oh don't complain Smallville, you deserved it for that comment and besides, its not like it hurt you." She chuckled, turning to face him.

"No Lois you don't get it…you pushed me. _You_ pushed _me_…"

"So? Oh…" Finally she got what he was trying to say. "How did I do that?"

"I don't know, maybe you're getting stronger."

"Is that possible?"

"You're asking me? How am I supposed to know?" Suddenly, without warning, she leaned over and punched him hard.

"Hey!" He grabbed his arm and rubbed it, his eyes shooting to hers as he realised that he shouldn't have been able to feel that, and more to the point, it actually hurt a little.

"Huh, guess I am getting stronger. Do you think it's normal?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Lois, nothing about this pregnancy is normal."

She shrugged her shoulders. "Well, we're seeing Helen tomorrow anyway, we can ask her about it then."

He nodded but was too preoccupied with his own thoughts that he didn't notice the gleam enter Lois' eyes.

"Well, you're up, I'm up…What are we going to do about this?" She said, her voice soft and quiet as she lifted a leg and straddled his lap. Wrapping her arms around his neck she leaned in and whispered in his ear. "I have an idea."

It sent shockwaves down his spine and as he looked up into her eyes, he was powerless to resist. The second her lips connected with his, he had a hard time trying to even remember what they'd been talking about in the first place.

Finally he decided to stop thinking and start feeling. He rolled Lois over onto her back and began his assault on her neck again. Women were strange, that he knew, but they were even more so when they were pregnant. Hormones made them do and say the weirdest things. And they weren't carrying half-Kryptonian babies.

Slowly, Clark unbuttoned her shirt, kissing his way down her neck, chest and finally reaching her stomach. She flinched a little as he placed both hands on her bump and he looked up to see a frown on her face. A thought occurred to him, but he couldn't believe it. Did Lois think she was unattractive to him now?

All the books he'd been reading had prepared him for the possibility but he never actually thought she would think that way. Knowing that words would not be enough to take away her fears, Clark leaned his head down and kissed her stomach lovingly.

He didn't need words. He was going to _show_ her exactly how beautiful she was to him.

* * *

"Morning Lois, I got you your tea." Toby said, holding out a steaming mug for her as soon as she stepped inside the bullpen, complete with puppy dog eyes.

"Oh, thanks Toby." She smiled politely at him and took it, but even Toby couldn't rival the puppy dog look that Clark gave. That man could melt her heart in two seconds flat. And after last night, she was feeling so loved that not even Perry's barking could irritate her.

"Lane!" He bellowed as he stormed in.

"Lane-Kent." She murmured, though she didn't know why she bothered. He never listened. She shrugged out of her winter coat and looked over at him, chuckling at the impending storm coming her way. The man was going to give himself an ulcer one of these days.

"Yes chief?" She said, knowing that it would only fuel the fires but unable to resist.

"Where's Kent?" He stopped a foot away from her desk, his cheeks showing the familiar redness he always got when he was hyped up about something.

"He's running a couple of errands…"

"I don't care Lois! Get down to the Regency Hotel ASAP. There's a guy on the roof threatening to jump. We all know _he'll_ be there so make sure you get some quotes this time."

Well, that answered Lois' question of where Superman had had to rush off to this morning. He'd left so quickly he hadn't even kissed her goodbye. Once Perry was gone, Lois set about putting her coat back on.

"Wow, he really gives you a hard time doesn't he?" Toby said, appearing at her desk, watching the doors Perry had just exited from with a deep frown.

"Perry? Nah, he likes to talk tough but inside, he's a softie really."

"Still, he shouldn't talk to you like that Lois. It's not right. And he shouldn't be making you run around like this in your condition." Lois paused, taking a moment to study the young man before her. Surprisingly, his attitude wasn't irritating her, and that was new.

She chuckled as she checked inside her bag, making sure she had her voice recorder in there. "In my condition? Toby, I'm pregnant, not ill."

He shifted his weight to one foot and looked at her with a smile. "You're the best reporter he's got. He should treat you a little better."

"Not that I don't appreciate the ringing endorsement Toby but, Perry's one of the good guys. He treats me just fine. I know how to handle him don't worry."

"I know, you're a tough cookie Lois. I admire that about you. You see what you want, and you get it." Lois frowned and then rolled her eyes. She knew he had a crush on her and she should probably stop him saying things like that, but she didn't have the heart to hurt his feelings. He seemed so…fragile. And a little lonely too. She'd never once seen him with any friends, he was always alone.

"Oh!" He exclaimed, running around to his desk to get something. "I almost forgot. This came for you this morning. I signed for it for you." He handed her the package, with a bounce in his step that reminded Lois of Shelby when he was begging for a treat.

With an inward chuckle, she took the package and began opening it, unaware of Toby's keen gaze as she did so. Her smile faltered as she looked inside. A small silver bauble sat in a nest of blue crepe paper, with a card attached to it. If she hadn't been so worried as to who this came from, she would've been able to appreciate the intricate patterns on it, as if hand drawn.

It was really beautiful. A feeling of dread washed over her as she picked up the card and read. 'To Baby Lane-Kent' Unsigned, obviously.

"Lois, are you okay? You've gone awfully pale." Toby said, grasping her shoulder lightly.

She frowned down at the expensive looking package. "I'm fine. Who delivered this Toby?"

"Uh, some UPS guy." He replied.

_It has to be Lex_. She thought. _Who else would do this?_ This was the second time she'd been sent something for the baby. Something very expensive looking.

"Lois, is everything okay?"

She glanced up at Toby's worried frown and forced a smile. "Everything's fine Toby. I have to get going. Have you seen Jimmy?"

"I think he's out."

"If you see him, tell him to meet me at the hotel." She walked out and headed up to the lobby, her arms crossed protectively over her stomach against the biting wind as she stepped out onto the busy street.

She took out her cell phone as she hailed a cab. "Hey Chlo it's me. Listen, I need you to do me a favour…"

* * *

Lex watched with only mild interest as the scene unfolded on his TV inside his limo. Clark had saved him. What a surprise. Saint Clark had swooped in and saved the day yet again. He had managed to talk the man down from the roof. He huffed out a breath and reached to turn it off, stopping when he saw the camera aim into a crowd of onlookers on the street.

A woman with chocolate brown hair and a notepad, stood taking quotes from Superman. Lois Lane-Kent. He would know that back anywhere. That self assured, confident stance. But his eye was drawn to the way she was holding a protective hand against her stomach.

Superman was his usual distant but pleasant self. Giving a few quotes before flying away. But he was not important. No, what was important was still standing in line of the camera. He took a few moments to study her, watching the way she moved. But his view was cut off when the camera turned to focus on the man exiting the building.

Frustrated, he turned off the TV and got out of the car. It had taken a long time to track this place down. Oliver Queen had hidden her well. Just on the outskirts of the city. But not well enough. He walked up the to main doors and lifted a hand to press the buzzer for her apartment but was pleasantly surprised when she appeared through the door. Her eyes immediately registered him and as he watched, all the blood drained from her face.

"Helen. It's been a long time." He said, his smile warming his face.

"Lex. What are you doing here?" She asked, straightening her back, giving him a confident look that told him she was anything but.

"I was in the neighbourhood. Imagine my surprise when I found out my ex-wife is now working for one of my enemies. It was an even bigger surprise to learn that you were back in Metropolis." She walked past him and out onto the street, trying to maintain her composure but Lex knew his presence had rankled her.

"I have nothing to say to you."

"Well, seven years has passed. I should think that a 'hello' would suffice."

She stopped, abruptly turning round to face him. "What do you want Lex?"

"Such hostility Doctor. I was just merely checking up on an old friend." He grinned.

She glared at him. "You and I were never friends Lex. I may regret my actions towards you in the past…"

"You mean when you tried to kill me and subsequently lived in my mansion in the lap of luxury."

"I was a different person back then Lex. I'm not the same. I've changed, moved on with my life. I have things that give it meaning now," She replied flatly before walking away. He followed slowly after her, like a cat stalking its prey.

"I heard. Tell me Helen, what does being the personal physician of a woman carrying an alien baby pay these days?" She stopped, her breath coming in short gasps. "Judging from your accommodation, it must be pretty good."

"I don't know what you're talking about." She replied nervously.

"No? Let me help you out then. Lois Lane and Clark Kent." He watched as something in her eyes flashed as she tried to keep her face blank.

"Clark Kent? The boy you were obsessed with all those years ago? What does he have to do with anything?"

"Oh come now Helen, you know that I know the truth. I bet they've told you all about it. Clark and I share a somewhat…troubled past…"

"I wonder whose fault that is." She bit back.

"Oh I take full responsibility for my actions, I suffered enough because I thought I was doing the right thing." He stepped a little closer to her, enjoying the scent of her fear. "But I see now that it was the wrong choice. Superman helps this world, I'm no idiot, I can see that."

"What do you want Lex?" She asked again, placing her hands on her hips in defiance.

"I want your help actually."

She let a short burst of laughter. "You want my help? You've gotta be kidding me!"

"Well, it wasn't exactly a request." Her smile faded as his grew wider. "You see Helen, I know all about the baby Lois is carrying and I am aware of how special this baby is."

"You're not getting anywhere near that baby Lex!" She spat.

"You misunderstand me Helen. I don't want the child. Not yet anyway. I want something else. And only you can get it for me."

"What?" She asked, grimacing at the reply.

"I want to know everything you've discovered in your testing of Lois. Everything, her blood works, her scan pictures, everything." Without warning, her hand shot out to hit him but he caught her wrist, squeezing hard, making her wince.

"I'd never help you."

"Oh I think you will. Unless you want to be joining your dear husband sooner than you planned."

Her jaw fell as her eyes popped wide. "You!"

Lex merely smiled.

"You had him killed! You...you, son of a... I'll kill you!" She flung herself at him, her hands trying desperately to claw at him, to hurt him in any way she could. But he wouldn't release her arms and she was no match for him. Tears streaked down her face.

"How could you? I loved him so much!"

"And that was why. Ultimately, his loving you was his downfall. I told you Helen…" He stared into her eyes, his glinting with malice. "I would make you pay for what you did to me. You didn't honestly think that I let you go all these years thinking that this was forgotten did you?"

"I'll tell the police, you won't get away with this!" She spat angrily.

"Go ahead, they'll find nothing on me. I however, have everything on you. Evidence of what you did to me is still sitting safe and sound in my possession. So unless you want to be wearing orange for the rest of your life, you'll do what I ask."

Helen took a step back, her eyes flashing dangerously at him. But he knew he had her right where he wanted her now. Her shoulders slumped in defeat.

"You know he won't let you anywhere near Lois or the baby." She said, Lex knew she was referring to Clark.

"He doesn't have to know. This will be our little secret. Helen…" He paused, waiting for her to meet his gaze. "You do this for me, and I will never bother you again."

He held out his hand, a small smile tugging at his lips as she weighed up her non-existing options. "Do we have a deal?"

_**To Be Continued...**_


	26. Chapter 25

_**Chapter Twenty Five  
**_

"Smallville, stop it!" Lois chuckled. Sweeping her hair aside, Clark began to attack the very sensitive spots on her neck as he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.

Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she grimaced. "This dress makes me look huge." She said, smoothing down the burgundy shoulder-less dress.

She wasn't too keen on the way that it clung to her bump, accentuating every curve, but she realised that maybe it was just her imagination playing with her mind. It wasn't that she wanted to hide her bump, far from it, she just didn't want to attract attention to it. She was trying to be cautious in every aspect.

"No it doesn't, it makes you look sexy." He murmured in her ear, making goose bumps break out on her flesh. The things this man could make her feel were overwhelming sometimes.

He was only wearing a towel around his waist, making it very hard for her to concentrate. His hair was wet from the shower and she had to physically restrain herself because she knew if she didn't, she would never make to the Ace Of Clubs in time. And tonight was a special night.

He looked at her in the mirror, wiggling his eyebrows. "Sexy enough to change my mind about tonight and stay home with you instead."

She fixed her earring and turned to face him. "Ah but there's a slight problem there, I won't be here. So you'll be alone. I know Shelby's wonderful and all, but I think Oliver and Jimmy might be slightly better company since they can actually talk." She laughed.

He moaned when she kissed him quickly on the lips and stepped out of his embrace. She laughed at the puppy dog eyes he was giving her. "Come on Clark, it's Ollie's bachelor party. You have to go. You are the best man after all."

"Well I don't understand why he and Kara are having their parties two weeks before they get married." He flung himself down on the bed, lying on his stomach, watching her every move as she went about styling her hair, curling little tendrils to drape around her face.

She was looking forward to tonight, it was just going to be the four of them. Kara, Lois, Chloe and Martha. Girl's night out and Lois was determined to throw Kara the traditional bachelorette party.

"I think Kara's a little nervous about what might happen to her fiancé if he has his party the night before the wedding, it's a pre-emptive strike. This way, he has no excuse not to get to the church on time."

"Is she still worrying about what could go wrong?"

Lois sighed in exasperation. "Have you been listening to anything she's said recently?"

"Of course I have." He said, looking a little offended.

She rolled her eyes at him. "Shouldn't you be getting ready?"

He got up off the bed and in the blink of an eye, she was staring at an empty space. Two minutes later he returned, fully clothed and smelling absolutely mouth watering. His dark blue shirt really brought out the blue in his eyes. She took a moment to fully appreciate her husband. He was magnificent. Six and a half feet of pure handsomeness.

His eyes met hers and he must've seen what she was thinking because his darkened with lust.

"Don't be looking at me like that." She warned. He stalked towards her slowly, a small grin creeping up on his face.

"Like what?"

"Like you want to strip me naked and have your way with me."

He raised a brow. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

Without another word, she let Clark take her into his arms and kiss her passionately. Her hands found their way inside his shirt, grazing against the bare flesh of his torso. This man was perfection. And he was all hers.

"Smallville…" She mumbled against his mouth. "We have to go. I don't wanna be late."

After a few more minutes, Clark reluctantly pulled back, adjusting his shirt. "Fine, but we will pick up where we left off later."

A flash of heat swept through her entire body at the mere thought. "Can't wait."

* * *

"You do realise that I'm the only one getting drunk tonight don't you?" Chloe grumbled, as she, Lois, Martha and Kara all sat around a large table in the Ace of Clubs.

"Hey now, I may be older than you girls, but I can still hold my liquor." Martha chimed in. Lois chuckled to herself, she had a feeling that Chloe and Martha were already well on their way to being drunk.

"That sounds like a challenge Mrs Kent." Chloe said.

"Show me what you got Mrs Olsen." Martha giggled, filling both hers and Chloe's glass up with more champagne.

Lois watched Kara intently, she was having such a good time. She had never seen her look as beautiful as she did tonight. Her normally bouncy curls were gone tonight. It was obvious that Kara had spent quite a bit of time trying to get her hair just right, it was straight as a pin and not a strand out of place. She looked radiant. Her bright red dress brought a fire to her eyes.

"Lois can I ask you something?" Kara said, leaning over towards her.

"Sure."

"Well, it's about my wedding night. I have never done this whole wedding thing before,"

"Do you need me to draw you a diagram?" Lois laughed, taking a sip of her non-alcoholic beer.

Kara threw her a smirk, having long since gotten used to Lois' banter, she often gave as good as she got. "If I did, would you be able to draw one?" She retorted. "Help me!"

Lois flipped her hair back over her shoulders and leaned in closer. "What's bothering you?"

"What if, I don't know, what if I do something wrong? Screw it up somehow. What if I disappoint him?" Kara was definitely Clark's relative. No one did insecurity quite like the two Kryptonians that Lois loved.

"Kara, Ollie is head over heels in love with you. There's no way you could disappoint him."

Kara thought about that for a moment. "Okay, so what about that night? I mean I know I'm supposed to be sexy and alluring but…"

"Well, a trip to Victoria's Secrets couldn't hurt."

"You mean, sexy underwear?" Lois nodded, then chuckled at the blush creeping up Kara's neck and face.

"Well, what colour should I get?"

Lois, Chloe and Martha all exchanged glances. All three smiled and said, "Green."

"Kara, your wedding day is the happiest day of your life. Don't stress yourself out sweetie, let things happen naturally and just remember to enjoy it." Martha said, her mothering instincts coming out as she saw her niece's uncomfortable expression.

"I remember my wedding day, it was the most…" She sighed as the happy memories came back to her. "Jonathan was so handsome. It was the best day of my life. Well that and the day Clark came into our lives."

"He was lucky you found him." Kara replied. "I wish I'd had a family like you when I arrived here. I missed out on so much, being in suspended animation all those years." Martha reached over the table and covered Kara's hand with hers.

"Sweetheart, it doesn't matter how you came to be here. What's important is that you now have friends and family who love you and want to see you happy. I'm so glad you found that with Oliver. He's a great guy."

Kara smiled warmly. "Yeah, he really is isn't he? Thanks Aunt Martha." Martha gasped, a hand flying up to cover her open mouth. She had been telling Kara to call her that since she had arrived but Kara had confided to Lois that it just never seemed to feel right. Obviously now, it did.

"You're very welcome." As Lois watched the heart-warming interaction between the two women, she felt her phone vibrate in her hand bag. Sliding it up, she saw it was a text message.

"_How's my girls? Havin' fun? xx_"

Lois grinned as she began typing, deciding to have a little fun with him.

"_Can't you go more than two hours without contacting me Smallville? Lol, we're having a lot of fun actually, there's naked strippers everywhere, it's fantastic! Oh and your mom's a little drunk. Love ya, xx_"

"Come on Lo…" Chloe stood over her, holding out her hand. "Let's boogie."

"I'm good thanks Chlo…"

"No, you're not getting out of this. Come on." She grabbed her hand and pulled her gently out of her seat, then made her way to the dance floor where Martha and Kara were already dancing.

"Martha?" Lois said quietly, astounded by the red haired woman gyrating to the beat of the music. She turned her head towards Lois and smiled. Yep, she was definitely drunk.

"Come on Lois, show us your moves." Martha called.

"Yeah, come on beautiful, show us." A voice said behind her. She turned around to see three burly young men, all watching her with lust filled eyes.

She held up her hand and wiggled her wedding ring in front of them. "Sorry fellas, you're gonna have to find someone else to harass."

"Ah come on sweet cheeks, dance with us." One of them said, stepping forward to reach for her hand. She quickly took a step back.

She rolled her eyes. "I'm just going to pretend that you didn't see the obvious sign I just sent you and tell you again, I'm married and pregnant and soooo not interested. So take a hike."

"Doesn't mean you can't have a little fun with me." He teased and as she turned away from him, he grabbed her butt.

Before he could make contact a second time, his wrist was grabbed in a vice like grip, making him wince. She had momentarily forgotten about her new strength, it was still taking some getting used to. She felt something crack as he let out a yelp and quickly released him. He cradled his arm against his chest, his two buddies looking on in amazement.

"You broke my wrist, you b***h!" He yelled.

"Maybe next time, when a woman tells you she's not interested, you'll do the sensible thing and back off." She replied flatly, though inside she felt terrible. She didn't know she was capable of causing pain like that. It was rather unnerving.

"Lois, you okay?" Kara was right by her side, watching the men with a clear distaste.

"Yeah, I'm good." She smiled as the men slowly walked away. She'd be damned if she'd let this ruin Kara's night. "Come on, let's dance."

"Kara Kent?" Lois rolled her eyes at another voice behind them. She saw Kara freeze with a look of horror on her face as they stared up at the policeman.

"Yes?" She said nervously.

"Oh no," Lois groaned and looked over at her cousin. "Chloe please tell me you didn't…"

"What?" Chloe said, her eyes widening innocently. A little too innocently for Lois' liking. She had no idea how Kara was going to react to a stripper. She would've booked one if she knew that Kara would've been okay with it. After all, it was tradition.

Chloe smiled sweetly at her. "I didn't do anything."

Lois frowned at her sceptically. "Uh-huh. I'm sure."

"Ah come on Lois, this is gonna be fun." Lois' jaw dropped at the person who'd uttered that statement.

"Martha!"

* * *

"I'm telling you Oliver, they're not gonna like it."

"What are you talking about Clark? They'll love it." He opened the door and let Clark and Jimmy in before him.

"Okay but when Lois asks, this was all your idea." He replied, shaking his head.

"You are so whipped Clark. When are you gonna learn to have a little fun? Lois has hers, so why don't you do the same?"

Clark sighed. Lois was going to kill him. He had no idea how he had let a drunken Jimmy and Oliver talk him into this. The girls would not be happy about their party being crashed. Though he had to admit, he was eager to see for himself, what they were up to.

His response to her earlier message about the strippers had received no reply and he figured she was probably just having too good a time to notice her phone. He hoped so, she needed to have a night off, to let her hair down and unwind. Also, he hoped that she was just trying to wind him up about the strippers.

He knew that it was all harmless fun, but the thought of men gyrating their private parts in front of his pregnant wife, was a little disconcerting.

Oliver clapped him on the shoulder."Oh don't worry Clark, Lois loves me too. She can never be angry at me."

As they stepped off the elevator, Clark suddenly wished he was able to get drunk like the other two. There she was, his wife sitting with his mother, cousin and best friend, whooping and laughing at the naked male swaying in front of a very red faced Kara.  
But even though Kara looked uncomfortable, Clark could see she was enjoying herself.

He was suddenly faced with two options, he could either turn and walk out, or he could stay and get his ass kicked by his very pregnant and very hormonal wife. The second option was one he'd rather avoid since she was strong enough to actually dish some pain out to him.

That was still taking some getting used to. It felt strange to not have to concentrate on not hurting her when they made love. She gave as good as she got. And the result had left him breathless.

"Clark!" Jimmy snapped, forcing him back to reality. "Aren't you gonna do anything?"

"What am I supposed to do exactly?" He asked, Jimmy looked like he was about ready to attack the stripper and do some damage.

"That guy is naked. _Naked_ CK, in front of our wives! Do something!"

"Like what? Throw him off the balcony?" Clark chuckled. Though the idea did have some appeal.

"That's not a bad idea." Oliver murmured, his earlier good mood waning as he watched his fiancée.

"Look guys, I'm not very fond of the idea either, but we did crash their party and to be honest, men have strippers at their bachelor parties all the time. I know women do too, so maybe we should cut them a little slack." Clark couldn't believe these words were coming out of his own mouth.

"Kara's not like the rest of them Clark."

"She seems to be enjoying herself." Jimmy said, his eyes narrowing as he zeroed in on his own wife holding out a twenty dollar bill. Where on earth was she going to put that?

Jimmy wasn't waiting to find out. Without thinking, he stormed over there. Clark hung back with Oliver near the bar, wanting to be as far away from the fireworks that were about to go off, as possible.

"Okay pal, I think you're done here." Jimmy said, his eyes glaring at the male, who simply smiled at the intrusion.

"But I was just getting started." He smirked. Clark could see Jimmy's fists bunch and was surprised at the way Jimmy was getting fired up.

"Started? You don't have anything left to take off!"

"Jimmy!" Chloe's voice sounded out, and boy was she angry. "What are you doing here?"

Jimmy briefly glanced at her, and then turned back to the man who was still smiling obnoxiously.

"Okay man, I get the picture. Don't get your tidy whities in a bunch. Ladies, it's been a pleasure." He blew the ladies an exaggerated kiss, grabbed his clothes and sauntered off. Which left Jimmy facing a very angry crowd of women. Even Martha looked annoyed.

"You have ten seconds to explain yourself." Chloe demanded, standing up and placing her hands on her hips.

"Uh…well…" Clark chuckled, now Jimmy lost his cool? _Way to go Jimmy._

"Come on, I'm dying to hear your explanation for this!" Chloe said.

"I just uh…I didn't like seeing that guy push his private parts in your face, you're only supposed to look at…" He stopped abruptly, his face turning beet red as he realised what he'd been about to say.

Chloe's face softened, but only a little. She was still angry, but not furious. She grabbed his arm and led him away from the table, over into one of the corners and Clark didn't envy the guy for the conversation he was about to have. He turned his back on the scene, making it look like he was about to order a drink.

"Should we sneak out?" Oliver whispered to him, leaning on the bar.

"Smallville!" He groaned and closed his eyes. _Busted_. Turning around, he saw his wife and his cousin standing side by side, both with hands on their hips.

"Hey beautiful." He said, swallowing nervously. He was the strongest man in the world, but put him up against a mad Lois Lane and he was as helpless as a little kitten.

"Was that really necessary?" Kara asked Oliver.

"We just wanted to join you. Clark wouldn't shut up about Lois and I really wanted to see you. I just thought we could…" He hung his head.

"Ollie," Her soft tone had him rearing his head in surprise. "I like that you were missing me, I missed you too and to be honest, I was a little uncomfortable with all of that."

"Really?" She nodded and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him. Clark smiled down at Lois, with a hopeful expression.

"Oh you're not getting off that easy Smallville." She said, crossing her arms over her bump.

"Hey, wait a second. It wasn't even my idea and I wanted to leave the second we got in here." He defended. Why was getting into trouble for something Oliver and Jimmy were responsible for?

"How come he gets a kiss and I get…" Lois raised one brow, daring him to finish that sentence. He quickly clamped his mouth shut.

"Relax Smallville," She said, stepping forward to cup his face in her hands. "I won't hurt you."

She chuckled. "Come on, we should really get your mom home, I think she's had a little too much champagne." Clark looked over the top of Lois' head and saw his mom swaying gently in her seat, smiling at the four of them. She waved as they made their way over to her.

"Mom? You ready to go?"

"Don't be such a party pooper Clark, we haven't even had our cocktails yet." She said, reaching for another glass.

"I think maybe you've had enough Martha." Lois chuckled, reaching over the table to take the glass away. As she stood back up, she was hit with an intense pain. She grabbed her stomach and bent over.

"Lois! What's wrong?" Clark grabbed her elbows, supporting her. He watched her face intently, as she began to breath normally and finally she looked up at him.

"I'm fine. It's gone. I don't know what that was…OW!" A second pain had her grabbing Clark's arm, gripping so tightly he could feel it.

Martha was by her side, her inebriated state fast wearing off in concern for her daughter. She held onto one of Lois' arms, but stayed quiet, letting Clark tend to her.

"Lois, what is it?" Clark asked, his voice thick with concern. "Talk to me."

"Whoa, that one wasn't as bad. I don't think anything's wrong Clark…" She said, looking thoughtful as she rubbed her hands over her bump. She stopped in one spot, wincing. "I think the baby's kicking me…"

"What?"

"The pain's fading…I can feel these little…thumps," She grabbed his hand. "Right here. Can you feel that?"

Clark waited, his hand resting lightly on her stomach, his forehead creasing in concern. And then…he felt it. A tiny little thump against the palm of his hand. He watched Lois' face, but the pain didn't seem to be affecting her much anymore. She winced a little but otherwise, seemed fine. "Is he hurting you?"

"Not really, I think the first few blows were the worst but it seems okay now. Can you feel it though?" She said, her tone hopeful.

"Yeah," He looked back down to where his hand was covering. His eyes glazed over with tears. That was his child, kicking. He didn't like the idea that it could hurt Lois, but he was so happy that he finally felt it. He was beginning to think he never would.

"Yeah I can feel it." He wrapped his arms around her, cradling her close. "He's strong."

"Tell me about it. Clark…" She looked up into his eyes. "You really felt it?"

He cupped her cheek. "Yeah Lo, I felt our baby kick. Finally, I felt him kick!"

* * *

Helen sat in her penthouse apartment, typing away on her computer, trying to work. But her mind kept revolving around one thing. Her deadline was tomorrow. She was to deliver the information and blood samples of Lois to Lex or face his wrath.

She had no doubt that he would do everything he had threatened her with and she knew that he wouldn't hesitate to have her killed. Just like her husband. Her heart clenched painfully at the knowledge that the man she had loved beyond anything in this world, was now dead because of her past mistakes. That was all Lex had been, a mistake.

But she couldn't do that to Lois. Or Clark. Even though he was still reluctant to trust her, the fact that he hadn't sent her packing was a good sign and she didn't want to let them down. Lois had been good to her, trusting her with the most important thing in her life. But what other choice did she have?

Suddenly, her phone started ringing, making her jump. She snatched up the receiver in frustration.

"Hello Helen." Her blood ran cold just at the sound of his voice.

"How did you get this number?" She demanded, but she should've known that when it came to Lex Luthor, nothing was out of his reach.

"Still so hostile Helen. I thought we came to an agreement." The teasing tone in his voice made her stomach churn.

"We did no such thing. I remember you delivering an ultimatum, hardly an agreement." She spat.

Lex chuckled. "Well if that's what you choose to remember. That's fine. Just remember this. Tomorrow is your cut off point, I won't be so polite after that. Bring me everything you have…"

"No."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"I said no. I can't do that to them Lex. I won't." She said, defiantly.

"You can and you will."

"No I won't. The Kents have been good to me. So has Oliver. I won't let them down because of your threats."

"Oh believe me Helen, they're not simple threats, and you of all people should know not to cross me." The teasing tone was gone now, replaced with a menacing undercurrent.

Summoning up one last scrap of courage, Helen spoke slowly. "Go to hell Lex." And then she slammed the phone down.

_**To Be Continued...**_


	27. Chapter 26

_**Chapter Twenty Six**_

"Okay deep breaths, everything is going exactly according to schedule." Lois breathed deeply, gesturing with her hands, encouraging Kara to do the same. "Everything's fine."

Kara chuckled. "Lois, I'm fine. Will you chill out? You're more antsy than you were on your own wedding day."

"Sorry, even though mine was the best day of my life, there were a couple of hairy moments in there where I thought Clark wasn't going to make it. I just want this day to be nothing but perfect for you."

Kara smiled brightly at her. "It will be Lo. Stop worrying so much, not that I wouldn't mind seeing my new niece but the last thing we need is for you to go into labour today."

Lois nodded and turned back to the full length mirror and smoothed down her deep green dress. It had been Kara's choice of colour but Lois had always known she would've gone for green. But it was a lovely shade that brought out the best features of Chloe and Lois. Her only two bridesmaids.

Despite her worries about her now fairly large bump, she was surprised to see that she didn't look half bad in the shoulder less silky gown. There had obviously been no expense spared for this wedding either as all four women stood in Oliver and Kara's apartment, surrounded by a team of beauticians tending to their every need.

Martha was the latest to get the special treatment and as she sat in a chair with two women fussing around her, she appeared to be loving it. One was taking care of her hair and the other was doing her make-up.

Kara clapped her hands together. "Okay, so as tradition dictates, I have something old…" She touched the delicate silver bracelet that Martha had given her. She had worn it on her wedding day to Jonathan, something that had been handed down through the generations of women in her family.

"Something new…" A lovely little white bag adorned in lace that hung from her wrist and went perfectly with her wedding gown, a present from Chloe and Jimmy. "Something blue…" Her blue garter belt.

"What about something borrowed?" Chloe asked, sitting down carefully on the couch so as not to wrinkle her dress.

"Oh no, I can't believe I forgot about that one." Kara's eyes grew wide. "Oh man, I wanted to do everything right."

Lois stepped forward, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Kara, everything is going right I promise. Here," She reached around and removed her necklace. "You can borrow this."

"Lois…" Kara gasped, looking down at the silver necklace that Clark had bought Lois upon his return to Metropolis after his training. Kara had never seen her without it on. "I can't take this Lois, it means too much to you."

"It does," Lois replied, fixing Kara's veil as she spoke. "There's a lot of love in that necklace Kara, which is why I know you'll take good care of it until you get it back to me."

Tears in her eyes, Kara hugged Lois tightly. "Thanks Lois, this really means a lot." She sighed happily as she stepped back, the necklace went with the bracelet Martha had given her perfectly. "I can't believe I'm going to be Mrs Oliver Queen in an hour."

Chloe let out a laugh. "I'd say a lot of women agree with that statement Kara." She held up the paper she was reading, the headline stating: BILLIONAIRE PLAY BOY SET TO TIE THE KNOT. WILL IT LAST?

Kara scoffed. "What do they know." She went to stand in front of the mirror and clasped her hands together in front of her. "I feel like a princess. I know that's an incredibly corny thing to say but…it's how I feel right now. Everything's just…perfect."

She touched her hair, which was hanging down past her shoulders, perfectly straight. While her curls were a natural part of her, this look gave her an air of maturity and sophistication. She'd done that for Oliver, since he'd loved it so much when he'd seen her at her bachelorette party. Her beautiful white gown flowed out around her, her veil reaching the floor and trailing behind her.

Lois smiled as she watched Kara, she was practically glowing, she was so happy. She thought back to the day she married Clark. That really had been the day her life had started. It had been the best nine months of her life since. She glanced down at her tummy and winced a little as the baby kicked. It didn't really hurt, it was just uncomfortable. Her baby was definitely strong, that was for sure.

She really hoped that Kara and Ollie had the chance to know this feeling one day. It was the most incredible feeling in the world. She could almost imagine a bright blue eyed, blonde haired baby with sweet rosy cheeks and a smile that could light up a room. When she thought about her own baby, she had no idea who he or she would favour. Would it be a shy and quiet little boy with her eyes and Clark's smile? Or a little girl with her personality and Clark's looks.

Her thoughts were interrupted by her cell phone ringing. She glanced at the screen and chuckled.

"Smallville, don't tell me you need help with your tie again."

"Ha ha, funny Lois, no I was just calling to see how things are going? How's Kara, is she freaking out yet?"

"No actually, surprisingly she's doing just fine. I can't wait for you and Ollie to see her. She looks so beautiful Clark, you're gonna be so proud." She whispered the last part not wanting to embarrass Kara.

"I'm already proud of her Lo." Lois smiled at the loving tone in his voice. "How are you doing?"

"I'm great, baby's kicking me like crazy but I'm good. Hey whose voices can I hear?" She asked.

"Oh that's just Bart and AC, the whole league's in town for the wedding. I can't wait to see how beautiful you look." He said, lowering his voice a little, his sultry tone making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

"Patience Smallville, you can drool over me later." She teased. She heard him groan and smiled to herself. She still had it.

Clark let out a small chuckle. "Can I talk to Kara for a minute Lo?"

"Sure, hang on a sec." She passed the phone over to Kara.

"Hello?" Lois watched as her cousin-in-law spoke, her face beaming with joy as she listened. Whatever Clark was saying was having a profound effect on her. Tears appeared but didn't fall, and Kara sniffled a little.

"Thanks Clark. You're the best cousin I could've ever asked for." She listened for a few more moments and then threw a smile at Lois. "Oh don't worry, I got it under control." She handed the phone back to Lois, who was growing suspicious as Kara kept grinning at her.

"What was that all about?" She asked.

"Nothing, I just needed to talk to my cousin that's all."

"Hmm, why don't I believe you?" She could practically hear him smile through the phone.

"I guess you're just gonna have to trust me. Okay, I gotta go, believe it or not, Oliver's the one freaking out."

"He is? Why?" That did surprise Lois. Oliver was normally the cool, suave, composed one. Kara lived with her emotions just under the surface. So the complete turnaround was shocking yet also amusing.

"Who knows, I think it plays into the whole Lex thing but he'll be fine."

"Well you're the best man so just make sure he's there, oh and Smallville?"

"Yeah?"

She grinned. "Try to make it on time this time."

* * *

They arrived at the church forty minutes later, with the crowd of onlookers and press hoping to get a glimpse of the biggest news story of the month. The church was large and fairly secluded, just on the outskirts of Metropolis, but apparently not secluded enough.

"I see the vultures are already circling. You ready to do this?" Lois asked, turning to Kara and trying to ignore the constant flashes going off outside the car.

Kara drew in a shaky breath, Lois could see the nerves were beginning to get to her. "I'm ready. Let's go."

The door was opened and Lois momentarily forgot how to breath. Clark stood there looking as handsome as the day she married him, in a tux finished off with a bow tie the same rich green colour as her dress. Not even his glasses could lessen the effect he was having on her.

He had to be from another planet, no human man she had ever met, radiated the sheer sexuality and handsomeness that Clark did. He held out his hand and guided Kara through to the lobby. Once they were all inside, away from the yelling and trigger happy camera men, Clark turned to Kara.

"You look amazing Kara. So beautiful."

"Thanks Clark." Kara replied. "How's Ollie?"

"Waiting to see you. I think he might burst a blood vessel when you walk in." Clark chuckled.

A forlorn look appeared. "I wish my parents could've seen me like this though. And Aunt Lara and Uncle Jor-El." She closed her eyes for a second. "I really miss them." Clark grasped her shoulders lightly and smiled.

"They may not be here Kara, but I know that they are as proud of you as I am right now. You've come so far since arriving here. I know that it was hard, having to adjust to living on a different planet, I know I didn't really make it easy when you first got here. I guess I can't really understand since I've been here my whole life. But I'm glad you're here with me. You're my family. And now you're starting a new life with a great man. I wish you all the happiness in the world…" He cupped her cheek. "My cousin."

"Kal-El." She whispered, leaning her head on his shoulder as he hugged her gently. They looked up when they heard sounds of sniffling coming from the corner of the room where Chloe, Lois and Martha were standing.

Lois wiped at her nose. "Stupid hormones." She grumbled under her breath. Clark chuckled and looked back down at Kara. He really was proud of her. He kissed her on the cheek and turned to his wife.

"And you Mrs Kent, look absolutely ravishing." He claimed her mouth with a possessive kiss until he felt Chloe smack him on the shoulder.

"Hey what are we, chopped liver?" Chloe demanded, lining herself up with Martha who laughed but then played along with Chloe, glaring playfully at Clark.

Clark bowed his head and smiled. "My apologies ladies. May I say you all look particularly beautiful today."

"You may and thank you." Chloe replied, laughter bubbling up to the surface.

Lois clapped her hands together. "All right then, let's get this show on the road before Ollie spontaneously combusts out there."

Kara glanced up at Clark, raising a questioning brow to which he simply shrugged and held out his arm for her to take.

The music started and after giving her a quick hug, Martha walked in first, followed by Chloe and then Lois. The church was pretty packed, close to two hundred people were in attendance for the biggest wedding of the year. Oliver was a popular guy but Kara had managed to make quite a few friends herself. Though Clark knew that as long as her family was here, she would've been just as happy with no one else.

As the music changed and the traditional music began, Kara pulled on Clark's arm, halting him for a minute.

"What's wrong?" He asked, seeing her hesitation.

"I'm a little nervous. I've never been somebody's wife before. Oliver's a very powerful man, he could have any woman he wanted. Why me? What if I disappoint him or screw this whole marriage thing up?"

"Kara, do you love him?" He said softly.

She looked at him with an exasperated expression. "You know I do."

"Then that's all you need. You know how much he loves you. Do you know how nervous he is? He's worried that you're going to have second thoughts."

"Why would he think that?"

"Because he doesn't think he deserves you. Look, I'm going to tell you something that someone very wise said to me once. Stop thinking too much about the future and concentrate on today. Live for today. Everything else will sort itself out." He smiled reassuringly.

She frowned at him. "Who said that?"

"You did."

"Huh, what do you know, guess I'm not much of an alien anymore, I can give good advice after all."

"Kara, you're more human than you realise."

She tightened her grip on his arm and nodded. "Okay, I'm ready."

Clark walked slowly with her arm linked through his, his eyes on the beautiful pregnant woman at the end. Oliver's eyes however, had nearly popped out of his head when he first saw Kara and now he just simply couldn't stop staring at her. Clark kissed her on the cheek and handed her over to Oliver, then took his place as Oliver's best man.

"Kara…I don't even have any words to describe how beautiful you look right now." Oliver said, his eyes shining brightly.

"We don't need any Ollie." She replied, cupping his cheek, as they turned towards the minister.

"Dearly beloved…"

* * *

Lois cursed her hormones throughout the whole ceremony. She had been dabbing a tissue at her eyes trying desperately not to ruin her make up and end up with panda eyes. Lois Lane-Kent did not cry. But she hadn't been able to stop as Kara and Oliver both nervously recited their vows to one another.

A few times she had caught Clark's eyes, the love she saw there just made the emotions she was feeling even more potent. How had life become this perfect? She was still waiting for something to come along and mess it up because that was how her life had always worked in the past.

But sitting here now, watching as her husband and her cousin danced, she knew that she couldn't be happier, no matter what the future might bring. She glanced around the huge room, which was a private ballroom that Oliver had hired. There were so many people there but her eyes remained on one person. Kara laughed at something Clark said as he twirled her around the dance floor. The bride and groom had already had their first dance and that had nearly set Lois off again.

A hand appeared in front of her. "May I have this dance?" She looked up into the smiling eyes of Oliver.

"You may." She replied, taking his hand and letting him help her to her feet. He led her over to where Clark and Kara and Chloe and Jimmy were dancing. Martha was over in the corner talking to Perry and his wife. Everyone looked so happy.

"Thank you Lois." He said as he took her into his arms, swaying her gently to the music.

"For what?"

"For being there for Kara. She thinks of you as her sister you know. And for being such a great friend to me. You're a very special person Lois."

"About time you realised that." She chuckled softly. "I may not be the world's most sensitive person when it comes to matters of the heart but I like to think that my friends and family know they can always come to me if they need to."

"We do. You don't give yourself enough credit Lois." He replied and they danced in silence for a little while.

"Make her happy Ollie." Lois murmured, leaning her head against his shoulder.

"I promise to try for the rest of my life Lois. She's everything I never knew I wanted in life. I mean I loved you once upon a time, I don't mean to diminish that but this…this is different. Its so unlike anything I've ever felt before. I hope that came out right." He grimaced.

Lois laughed, shaking her hair out a little. "I know what you mean Ollie. Our relationship feels like it was light years ago. But we're with the people we're supposed to be with now. We were good together for a while but let's face it, Clark's my soul mate and I know that Kara is yours. There's a reason that we're with them, they need us as much as we need them."

"Yeah, I can see that. Clark would be lost without you Lois. And I…well, I don't want to think about what I'd do if I lost Kara. Its like, and I know you're gonna roll your eyes when I say this but, it's like she completes me." Lois placed a hand on his chest.

"That's good, because if you hurt her, I'm going to have to take you down. And you know I will." She said it with such seriousness that Oliver didn't doubt her for a second. And she would hurt him. He gulped as she grinned. "Welcome to the family buddy."

* * *

  
After the cake was cut and the speeches were done, Lois stood outside in the vast beautiful gardens of the hotel, trying to compose herself. Oliver's speech had had her close to tears, but it was Clark's that had pushed her over the edge. Everything he had said had come straight from that wonderful heart of his and the way he'd looked at her had taken her breath away. She closed her eyes and smiled when she heard footsteps come to a stop close behind her.

"Thought you'd pulled a disappearing act Smallville." She turned around and her smile faded when she saw that it was Toby standing in front of her.

"Toby, what are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be inside enjoying the party?" She crossed her arms over her stomach, aware of his intense gaze. He simply stared at her with a smile.

She was a little surprised when he'd turned up earlier but Perry had told her that Oliver had wanted someone to write a decent article about this since it would be in the media anyway and he wanted Lois and Clark to concentrate on having a good day instead of working.

So he had trusted Perry to find the right reporter. She was a little sceptical about Perry's choice but had decided that she was probably being a little unfair. Toby did deserve a chance to prove himself at least. But the way he was looking at her right now was a little disconcerting. His eyes kept drifting down to her lips and back up again to her eyes.

"You look amazing Lois." He muttered.

"Uh thanks, but I should really get back inside." She moved to walk past him but he side stepped and stopped her.

"I mean it Lois. You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my life."

She scoffed. "What all twenty years of it? Honestly Toby, I thought it was sweet that you had a little crush on me at first but enough is enough. You have to stop this now."

"Crush?" He took a step towards her, making her take a couple back. "This is no crush Lois." He took one of her hands in his. He smiled hopefully at her. "I'm in love with you Lois Lane."

"Kent. Lois Lane-Kent." She said, her tone warning him to back off as she yanked her hand out of his grasp. He looked a little hurt when she did that but quickly recovered.

"I know, you're married. But I've been holding this in for so long, I just had to tell you how I felt Lois. I've been in love with you since the first moment I laid eyes on you."

"Do you even know what love is Toby?" She huffed. "Look, I appreciate that you think you have some sort of feelings for me, but it's just a crush. And if you don't stop this, I am going to kick your ass."

That only seemed to add fuel to the fire. His eyes lit up. "See, I love it when you talk like that. It's rare to find a woman who can hold her own like you can. I love that."

"Lois?" She almost cried out in relief when she heard Jimmy's voice come from the doorway. She knew she could handle herself and under any other circumstances she could've dealt with someone like Toby, but who was she kidding when she was seven months pregnant. It wasn't worth the risk.

"Is everything okay?" Jimmy asked, walking over to them. Toby shoved his hands into his pockets and tried to smile at Jimmy but Lois could see the anger in his eyes at the intrusion.

"Everything's fine Jimmy, Toby here was just leaving. Weren't you Toby? I'm sure you have enough for your article now."

"What? Oh uh, yeah. Catch you at work Lois." He ran a hand through his blonde hair and left, his shoulders slumped in defeat. She would have to talk to Perry about getting him moved. She didn't want to work anywhere near him. He was just too creepy.

"What was that all about?" Jimmy asked. Lois forced a smile and linked her arm through his.

"Nothing, just a little disagreement. So where is my husband?" She asked as they made their way back inside.

"He had to take off pretty quickly and asked me to find you and tell you that he would be back as soon as he could." Jimmy stopped her as they got inside the door. "Lois are you sure everything's okay? I know Toby can come across a little creepy sometimes."

"I can handle him Jimmy." She smirked, slapping him playfully on the shoulder. "You should know that better than anyone. Now come on, baby wants cake."

* * *

Toby walked round the block to where his car was parked, grumbling to himself all the way. He couldn't believe he'd just done that. What had he been thinking? He should've known better than to blurt it out like that to her. With a woman like Lois Lane, he would have to take a more delicate approach. He exhaled sharply and got into his car, pausing to take out his cell phone as it started ringing. He grimaced, he knew who was on the other end.

"Hello?"

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Lex's voice boomed through the phone. He was livid.

"What are you talking about Mr Luthor?" He replied, nerves making his voice crack a little. He never forgot that this was an extremely powerful man he was dealing with.

"What am I talking about?" He asked, incredulously. "I'm talking about you professing your undying love for the woman that I have hired you to keep an eye on! What were you thinking?"

"How do you know about that?" He asked, shocked. But then thinking about it, he shouldn't really be surprised that Lex had somehow managed to bug him.

"Don't you dare talk back to me! Just remember, I own you."

"I wasn't thinking Mr Luthor, I just…"

"You know what save it! You've royally screwed up tonight Toby, she'll probably get you moved or fired now." Toby frowned, Lois would never do that to him. Would she?

"Just focus on your task, nothing else got it? I don't want to have to take care of you too." The phone went dead, leaving Toby sitting there still holding it to his ear.  
"What have I done?"

* * *

Lex threw the phone across the room, watching as it shattered into pieces against the wall. He was furious. That little butt wipe had nearly destroyed everything. He drew in a large gulp of air, his head was still throbbing. He sat back down at his desk and took a couple of his pain killers. Not that they worked but it was better than nothing.

Toby had screwed up tonight, it could cause some trouble if he was fired. But no matter, Lex was confident that it couldn't come back to him. He opened his desk drawer and smiled as he pulled out a small silver box and a folder containing some papers.

Placing them on his desk he stared at them for a few minutes before opening the box. He reached inside, carefully lifting the item out of smoky liquid. He had known that he would get his own way eventually, but now, sitting here with the results in his hands, he felt incredibly powerful. Like he had the world's most precious secret in his hands.

Which, he conceded, he probably did. He placed the blood vial back into the box and opened the folder which was marked: CONFIDENTIAL. Lois Lane-Kent's name stared back up at him from the very first page.

_** To Be Continued...**_


	28. Chapter 27

_**Chapter Twenty Seven  
**_

"I can't believe this!" Toby muttered as he walked out of the Daily Planet. Carrying a box of his personal items, he let himself into his car and thumped his forehead against the wheel. He'd been fired. His work wasn't good enough, according to Perry. He needed reporters that were going to get the job done and he simply wasn't cutting it.

That was crap! He didn't believe that for a second. Lois got him fired because he'd finally worked up the courage to tell her how he felt. There couldn't be any other reason. He knew how close Perry was to Lois. Heck she was practically his adopted daughter. It wasn't fair. It wasn't right.

But he couldn't find it in himself to be angry with her. He loved her so much and now, the thought of not seeing her everyday, even if she was dangling from the arm of that overgrown farm hick, it just killed him. He didn't care how big Clark was, he knew that he could take better care of Lois than he ever could. But she loved him and Toby honestly couldn't see why.

His head shot up as he heard someone knocking against his window. His heart flipped in his chest when he saw Lois on the other side. He rolled down his window and grinned.

"Lois, you followed me…"

She cut him off by thrusting something in at him. "You forgot your cell phone Toby."

His face fell, as did his heart. "Oh, right. Thanks."

She half turned to leave, but then seemed to hesitate. Looking back in at him, she said. "Look Toby, I'm really sorry that you lost your job. Perry can be a little…"

"It's okay Lois. You don't have to explain. I freaked you out. I understand that and I'm…sorry for what I said at the wedding." He wasn't, but he didn't want to lose her. He smiled sadly at her, drinking in her appearance as if this was the last time he was going to see her. Which, he thought wryly, might very well be true. No, he refused to believe that.

"Toby, I know what it's like to have a crush on someone, it can feel an awful lot like love at times, but you'll get over this and move on to better things. Maybe you're better suited elsewhere. But I know that one day you'll find the right girl for you." She said, giving him that same smile that she had on his first day with her, melting his heart.

She had taken him under her wing, taught him the ropes and he had loved every moment of it. Her sassy nature just made her even more irresistible. Clark didn't know how lucky he was to have such an amazing woman. _Stupid farm boy_.

"Maybe. Well anyway, I'm sorry Lois. I guess I'll be seeing you around."

She nodded and headed back into the Planet. He watched her as she walked. God, she was beautiful. The age thing had never mattered to him, she was only five years older than he was anyway. With a tear collecting in one eye, Toby turned on the ignition and drove off, his heart aching even more with every corner he turned away from her.

* * *

"You okay?" Chloe asked as Lois walked back in and lowered herself down into her chair. She came around and perched on the edge of her desk.

"Yeah, I just feel a little bad that's all. I never meant for him to get fired. I just thought Perry would assign him to a different department or something." She rubbed her aching back and grimaced.

"Don't feel too bad Lo. The guy is obviously a few sandwiches short of a picnic. I mean what guy in their right mind comes on to a married, pregnant woman? I'm actually surprised you didn't sock him one when he told you."

"I didn't want to hurt him Chlo and knowing just how strong I am lately, I didn't want to take the risk of doing a lot of damage. I already broke a guy's wrist." She grimaced.

"Well I'm sure Perry had other reasons for firing the guy but come on Lo, it's Perry. He's always going to do what's in your best interests."

"I know, but that doesn't make me feel any better about it."

Chloe smiled down at her. "Why don't you forget about him and let me take you to lunch? Which is why I came over here in the first place, but we got sidetracked." She chuckled, shaking her short blonde hair out of her eyes.

At the mention of food, Lois perked up. She had been eating non stop lately, never seeming to feel full, and she was beginning to wonder if it was healthy to want a meal so soon after just having a snack. She'd always had a big appetite but this was bordering on the ridiculous. Nowadays Clark didn't get a full meal, she was often finishing it off for him.

But he didn't appear to mind too much. He'd said it was the least he could do since she was carrying his child. He was even flying to places just to bring back whatever she was craving at the time. She would have to think of a way to make that up to him. Her moods hadn't exactly been great lately either.

Since the wedding two days ago, she had just about bitten Clark's head off for the most stupid reasons. She'd even snarked at him for wearing his tie crooked yesterday, asking him if he could actually manage to dress himself. But once again, he'd been great and understanding about it and that just made her even more frustrated.

Where did their banter go? Though she realised that maybe he was walking on eggshells around her, banter at the moment would only be more likely to start an argument he was never going to win. She let out a tired sigh. _My poor Smallville_.

She looked up at Chloe and smiled. "Lunch sounds great, I'm starved and there's not much going on here any…" She grabbed her stomach as a wave of intense pain hit her. "Ow, jeez baby do you have to be so hard on mommy's ribs?"

Chloe frowned down at her. "You okay Lo?"

"Yeah, it's just he's been kicking me non stop lately. He's definitely taking after his father, he certainly is strong." She replied, massaging her now aching stomach. Truth be told, her whole body was aching and she just wanted to go home and snuggle up to her body pillow. Of course by body pillow, she meant Clark. He was surprisingly comfortable considering how rock hard his muscles were. She could really use one of his massages right now too, the man had the hands of a saint, but she couldn't let her mind go down that road, it only led to thoughts of a less than pure nature and the last thing she needed was to be jumping Clark as soon as she saw him.

Chloe frowned. "When are you seeing Helen next? Can't she give you something for the pain?"

"We're seeing her tomorrow, but no, she doesn't want to risk it since she can't keep a close eye on what's going on in here. It's not really painful, well that one was the first painful kick I've had."

"And the tests you had done at the Fortress?" Chloe asked.

Lois had spent the better part of yesterday in the Fortress with Clark, with Jor-El performing a multitude of tests. She had been a little apprehensive about going there, since it was the first time since she found out she was pregnant. But Jor-El had been nothing but polite and had even factored in some tests to ascertain exactly how strong she was now.

She could now lift the sofa with one hand, something which had caused Clark to nearly choke on his cereal when he'd seen her do it. He'd quickly raced over and took it from her, lowering it to the ground as he told her off.

"He says everything is fine. The baby's healthy and growing at what we 'humans' would call an accelerated rate but it was apparently normal for well, you know." She said, not wanting to say the word out loud, you never knew who was listening. "So he doesn't think it will be much longer before I'm ready to give birth."

"Wow, that's intense. I mean, you're only seven months gone, I guess it's just strange to know that you could go into labour that soon."

"Tell me about it." Lois replied, rubbing her bump gently again before standing up.

"So where's Clark anyway?" Chloe asked, standing up and helping Lois into her jacket.

"He got a call for help. I don't know how long he's going to be so we should just eat without him. I think he said something about stopping by Oliver and Kara's apartment to check it was all secure."

"Have you heard from them?" Chloe asked as they made their way out of the bullpen.

"Nope, they're on their honeymoon, I would be surprised if Kara found the time to call."

Chloe laughed as they hit the street outside, the wind blowing their hair in their faces. "I bet she's having the time of her life."

"I hope so, she deserves to." Lois replied, flagging down a cab when they got outside.

* * *

"Clark," Helen smiled as he entered her office. "To what do I owe this pleasure?" She kept her back turned to him as she placed some files in a folder. Clark stepped forward, the anger coursing through his veins as he looked at her. _How could she_?

When he didn't respond, she turned to face him and her smile fell as she took in his expression.

"Clark, what is it? Has something happened to Lois?" Clark inwardly scoffed, she had the nerve to be worried about Lois? He felt a growl emanate from deep within his chest, she had obviously heard it too because her eyes widened for a second.

"How could you?" He demanded quietly.

"How could I what?" She asked, looking confused but he could tell that she was hiding something.

"Lois trusted you! I gave you a second chance." He walked around her desk, staring her down as he approached. She backed away nervously.

"Clark I have no idea what you're…"

"Don't! Just don't!" He yelled. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. After everything Oliver said about you, I was beginning to trust you again. Then you go and pull something like this."

"Like what?" She said, her tone pleading.

"Giving Lois' blood to Lex Luthor. I assume that's what you did with it after you stole it?" Her face paled and that was all the confirmation Clark needed. "I just went to Oliver's to check on the place while they're away and to my surprise, I find that the safe which held Lois' files and blood, is now empty."

"Clark, you don't understand…" She started, but her voice cracked and she was unable to finish her sentence.

"Why did you do it Helen? Did he pay you? Or threaten you?"

"I didn't do it Clark."

Clark scoffed as he levelled her with a glare so menacing, it forced her to take another step away from him. "You really expect me to believe that?"

"I swear it's the truth Clark." She held up her hands defensively. "I did see Lex a few weeks ago, and he told me that…"

"Save it! I don't want to hear anything you have to say. I can't believe you could do this. Lex Luthor, Helen, you know how dangerous he is. This is my family you've put in danger." Clark felt the rage building within him, he had to get out of here before he did something he would regret.

"I didn't Clark, I promise, please just listen to me…" Tears streaked down her face and she looked so tormented that for a split second, Clark wondered if he was wrong. No, he wasn't wrong. There was only a handful of people that had access to that safe. Helen was the only one who could be responsible.

"No, you lost your chances to explain. Oliver trusted you, he vouched for your honesty and this is how you repay him? And Lois? She's the reason I even let you near her in the first place. But I guess I always knew that something like this would happen. I was an idiot to even let you back into our lives. But Superman believes in second chances. Well, you had yours and you screwed it up."

He drew in a sharp breath, forcing himself to calm down so she would understand what he was about to say. "I want you out of here, right now. You're not to come near my wife again, you talk to no one about what you've seen and done, and my baby is off limits. If I see you in Metropolis ever again, there will be hell to pay. Got it?"

Before she could say another word, he zoomed out of the room, leaving her standing there with the tears still running down her face. She collapsed to the ground, clutching at her stomach, trying to catch her breath amidst the sobs.

* * *

Lois wiped a tear from her eye as the laughter subsided. They walked back into the Daily Planet arm in arm. She felt good, she hadn't spent a lot of time with Chloe on their own lately so today had been just what she'd needed. After their lunch, they'd quickly browsed through a nearby baby store and Chloe had been itching to buy a cute little outfit she saw for a boy. But Lois had told her to wait until they found out whether it was actually a boy or not. Much to Chloe's chagrin.

"I can't believe Jimmy did that. Sounds like he's manning up."

Chloe laughed as they sat down at Lois' desk. "Yeah, I have to admit, I never thought he had it in him. I mean who knew that he liked handcuffs. But I guess seeing me with that stripper kind of kick started something inside him. Ever since then, he's been insatiable." Her face suddenly sobered. "Lois, you don't think that he…"

"Think that he what Chlo?" She asked, when her cousin fell silent.

"Well, you don't think that he thinks I would cheat on him again do you?"

"Chloe, how can you ask that? Jimmy loves you. He forgave you for that a long time ago. You two have been through so much together, he knows that you love him. Now stop thinking like that and help me with a headline for this story. I have pregnancy brain right now and nothing is coming out the way I want it to."

"Uh Lo, you do know that I don't work here anymore right?" Chloe said, raising an eyebrow at her older cousin.

"Yes but that doesn't mean you can't help me does it?" She glanced over Chloe's shoulder as her husband walked into the bullpen and she could feel the anger radiating from him almost immediately. She got up and walked over to him.

"What's wrong?" He took in a deep breath and hugged her close to him.

"Okay Smallville, you're seriously worrying me now. Tell me what's happened," Chloe came to stand by her side as he released her. Clark looked from her to Chloe, his face grim. He really didn't want to have to tell her this. It would crush her. She'd trusted Helen and had actually come to like her a lot.

"I'll tell you at home Lo. I don't want to discuss it here."

"Oh no you don't!" She grabbed his hand and dragged him through the door and into a nearby copy room. Closing the door behind them, she turned and crossed her arms. "Spill it Smallville."

He thrust his hands into his pockets and looked down at the floor, knowing that he wasn't going to get out of here until he told her and she did have a right to know.

"Your blood and files are missing Lois." He watched her frown for a moment but then she went pale.

"You think Helen took them?"

"Who else could it be? I think she gave them to Lex." He saw her sway as the shock hit her, and reached out to steady her.

"Do you know for sure?" She whispered, leaning against him. Chloe stood by her side, holding her hand, looking up at Clark with worry in her eyes.

"Not one hundred percent but Lois, when I confronted her about it, she looked so guilty." He held her tightly, afraid to ever let go. He wanted to keep her in his arms forever, where he knew she was safe.

"I can't believe this." Lois shook her head and pulled away. She reached for the door. "I'm gonna kick her ass!"

Clark leapt in front of her, grabbing her hands in his. "You'll do no such thing. You're too strong, you could really hurt her."

"You're defending her?" She shrieked.

"No, not at all. But if you do that, I know that it would kill you inside. You're not that kind of person. We'll figure this out I promise. First we need to find out what exactly Lex has, or what he knows."

"I can do that. I'll use Watchtower to hack into his private files." Chloe chipped in.

"Can you do that?" Lois asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Hopefully. I haven't met a firewall I couldn't crack yet. Don't worry Lois, we won't let Lex anywhere near you or the baby." Chloe rubbed her shoulder and tried to smile but Clark could tell that this had rattled her too.

"I trusted her Clark."

"I know Lo…" He replied softly, cupping her cheek. Her eyes met his, and he was surprised to see a ghost of a smile on her lips, but there was still worry in her beautiful eyes and he wanted to erase that. She should be focusing on her happiness, their child and life together. Not having to deal with the likes of Lex Luthor again.

"Man I hate it when you're right." She grumbled.

* * *

Later that evening, Lois plopped herself down onto the sofa and took her shoes off. Clark had dropped her off, but had to leave again to fulfil his Superman duties. He hadn't wanted to leave her, but she had insisted, since she was now safe at home. She was so glad that this day was drawing to a close. She had so much on her mind right now she couldn't even think straight.

Helen had betrayed her. Lex now possibly had access to her files and blood. Why did he even want them? The real question was, what was he going to do with them? Too many questions, not enough answers. She sighed as Shelby trotted in and jumped onto the sofa next to her.

"Hey Shelbs, looks like it's just you and me for now huh boy?" Shelby grunted as if stating that that was the way he liked it and she had to laugh as he sniffed her tummy then laid his chin there. Martha was out visiting friends that she hadn't seen in a while and said that she would be back late. So Clark and Lois had planned a movie night since they didn't get to do that much anymore. It would probably become even more of a less occurance once the baby arrived.

She got up and headed into the kitchen to retrieve her laptop, thinking that she should could get some work done before Clark got home. After she set it up on the table, she quickly headed upstairs to change into something more comfortable. As she was pulling on her sweat pants, she heard a yelp and a thud and then….silence.

Frowning, she made her way downstairs slowly. "Oh my God, Shelby!" She raced over to the golden haired pooch as he lay sprawled out just inside the living room. His eyes were closed. "Oh please don't be dead." She muttered.

She barely had time to notice the dart sticking out of his side as something sharp pierced her neck. She turned around, her vision starting to blur.

"Toby?" His face was the last thing she saw before she drifted into unconsciousness.

Toby caught her, holding her body tenderly against his. "I'm sorry Lois. But I'm not going to lose you now."

_** To Be Continued...**_


	29. Chapter 28

___**Chapter Twenty Eight  
**_

Clark whistled out loud as he stepped inside the new Watchtower headquarters. His cape fluttered lightly in the breeze that came from the open door behind him.

"Wow, fancy." He said to a grinning Chloe who was standing over by a dozen or so monitors.

"I could say the same." She chuckled, pointing at his costume. He looked down at himself and then in the blink of an eye, was wearing his usual work suit.

"Oliver went all out didn't he?"

"Yep, spared no expense either." She agreed. "It's important to have a place where the league can report back to when they're on missions."

"Yeah, I guess it is." Clark said, his eyes sweeping the place. It was huge, with a large oval shaped window that gave an amazing view of the city. "So, where's your husband?"

"He's at home. We're having a movie night tonight and he wanted me out of the way for some reason. I think he's up to something." She narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Clark as he averted his gaze. "And you know what it is don't you?"

"I'm sworn to secrecy Chloe." Clark replied, holding up his hands. "But I'm sure knowing Jimmy, it'll be something romantic."

Chloe shook her head with a smile, returning her attention back to the screen in front of her. "Speaking of spouses, where's yours?"

"She's resting at home. Well, I say resting, that probably means she's up to no good."

"Well, she needs to start laying off a little. Do you have any idea of when she's going to actually have the baby?" Clark smiled, he couldn't help it. Every time someone else talked about his baby, it gave him those butterflies in his stomach, it never failed. It was an amazing feeling, to know that he was about to become a father. An amazing but scary feeling.

"No, Jor-El said it could be soon but there's just no way of knowing for sure. That's why I keep telling her to take it easy, but you know Lois."

Chloe snorted. "Indeed I do and I know that the more you tell her to do something, the more she rebels and does the opposite."

"Well, I dropped her off at the farm a couple of hours ago, how much trouble can she get into out there?" He asked, his smile fading at the 'do you even have to ask' look on Chloe's face. "Oh, right."

"Have you two thought of any names yet?"

"No, every time I suggest one she dismisses it and she can't think of any herself, it's really starting to frustrate her. I'm sure once we see the baby, something will come to mind." He said with a lazy smile.

"What's gonna happen with her doctor now that Helen's out of the picture?"

Clark felt a bubble of annoyance surge up in his chest at the name. "I don't know, Oliver's looking into getting another one for us but because Helen has seriously betrayed his trust, he's being over cautious in who he chooses next."

"Can't blame the guy, he probably feels awful that this even happened."

"It's not his fault." Clark replied.

Chloe cleared her throat and frowned back at her monitor, as if preparing herself for something. Then she looked at him and he immediately knew that something was wrong. He had seen that look too many times during their friendship.

"What is it Chloe? Did you find anything about Lex?" And then it was back to business, the joking and light heartedness gone.

"No, not yet. I managed to hack into some of his files, but there are some in there that are so well protected that it's going to take me days to get into them. If I even can at all. But I found this…" She huffed out a long sigh, letting her fingers do the talking as she pulled up an image. Clark's eyes fell on the screen.

"That's Toby. But what does he have to do with Lex?"

"I'm not sure but our little 'Lois lover' has a history." She replied, ignoring the glare she received at her choice of name for him. "It appears that Toby has a criminal record, he's been in prison and was only very recently released."

"What for?"

She hit the keys again and a list flashed up on another monitor close by. "Apparently Lois isn't the first woman he's taken a shine to. Three years ago he started stalking a woman by the name of Amanda Tamworth. Harmless at first, sending her flowers and generally just being overly nice to her. But then the phone calls started and the midnight visits. Eventually she had a restraining order put on him, which he then broke and I guess after a while, something inside him just snapped."

"What do you mean?" Clark said, almost afraid to ask.

"He kidnapped her Clark. Held her in a basement, tied up for over three weeks before anyone found her. She was weak and traumatised but otherwise fine. He was sentenced to three years, served two and got out six months ago."

Clark shook his head and paced the floor. "But what does he have to do with Lex? And why on earth would Perry hire him with that kind of record?" He suppressed a shudder at the thought of him working so closely with his wife over the past few months. And he'd thought he was just a nice kid with a harmless crush.

"Because these files had been deleted Clark, they simply don't exist anymore. The only reason I found them was because they were in Lex's files. I think he's keeping them for leverage. He obviously paid to have them deleted. But the real question is, what for?"

Clark looked up from the floor, his eyes going wide. "Chloe, we have to find out what Lex is up to. He must have something on there. This is too coincidental along with Helen taking Lois' blood and giving it to him." He paused, frowning in thought. "Maybe it wasn't Helen after all. Maybe it was Toby…"

"Clark," His head turned back to see her looking at him with a sad smile. "I checked out Helen's bank account. She had two million dollars deposited into that account, this morning. It didn't say who from but who else has that kind of money?"

Clark felt his stomach churn. "So she really did do it." He said quietly. Chloe simply nodded in reply. He wiped a hand down his face, sighing in frustration. He really needed to see the only person who could make any of this better.

"I'm gonna go check on Lois, let me know when you have something else please?"

She nodded. "Sure, give Lois a kiss from me won't you, and please, don't worry too much Clark. The simple truth is, we don't know what Lex is up to, but for now, all you can do is focus on what you should be focusing on. Your wife and your baby, who is soon going to be making an appearance."

Even in the face of what Chloe had just told him, Clark couldn't stop the smile that appeared at that thought. He kissed Chloe on the cheek and left, heading straight back to Smallville to hold his wife in his arms until the dark thoughts he was having, faded away. She was the only one who could do that.

* * *

Lois groaned as she opened her eyes, her head was pounding as if she'd gone thirteen rounds with Mike Tyson. She blinked a few times to clear her murky vision and tried to sit up. She was on a sofa, that much she'd recognised, but whose sofa and where was something she'd yet to find out. She placed her hands over her bump protectively as she leaned back against the sofa, relief flooding through her as she felt the baby kicking away.

"I have no idea where we are baby, but I'm going to get us out of here. I promise."

She slowly stood up, testing her legs out first to make sure they weren't going give way on her. Once she was sure they weren't, she moved away from the sofa and something on the wall behind her caught her eye. Her jaw fell as she stared at the wall.

Hundreds of pictures adorned it, all of her. She moved a little closer, examining each one carefully. There were pictures of her at work, outside work, but the most disturbing ones were of her at the farm. Her home. There were pictures of her with Clark, laughing and smiling and one was even zoomed in on Clark's hand resting on her stomach.

"Do you like it?" A voice startled her from behind and she whirled around to find Toby watching her. His face was soft in the dim light, with a slight smile curving his lips.

"Did you take these?" She asked, still trying to get her head to catch up.

He nodded and moved a little closer. "It was the only way I could be close to you Lois. Well, until now."

"Toby, where are we? And what the hell did you do to me?" She said, raising her voice as a wave of nausea hit her hard.

In a second, Toby was by her side, helping her to stand upright. "I'm so sorry Lois, I never meant to use so much. I thought I had the right amount. But you're okay. And now you're here."

"And where is here exactly?" She looked around the room, and out of the window, she could only just make out the outline of the Daily Planet's globe. That meant that they were pretty far away from the centre of Metropolis. Perhaps not even in the city anymore.

"Our new home." He smile proudly. "Do you like it? Wait, don't answer that. I have something to show you first."

He raced off towards another room and she thought about making a run for it. "Don't bother Lois, all the windows and doors are locked." He called through.

She balled her hands up into fists, she would have no problem getting out of here, she knew that. But she didn't want to risk seriously hurting him. Not unless he forced her to. With her strength, she could kill him. And she couldn't live with that if it happened. At the moment he seemed calm enough so maybe she could just talk him out of whatever idea he had in his head.

She smiled at herself, maybe Clark really was rubbing off on her because she had to believe that there was still some good inside Toby. He wasn't doing this to be malicious, he was just lonely. Or so she thought.

She stopped dead when she got to the doorway, and she could feel her eyes go as wide as saucers. Toby stood there, holding a blue teddy bear, wearing the world's biggest grin.

* * *

"Lois? I brought dinner." Clark called out, as he arrived back at the farm. He placed the bags of takeout on the counter and started unpacking. Shelby came trotting over to him, a sad look in his eyes as he sat down at his feet.

"Hey boy, don't tell me she got sick of you already." He chuckled, but his smile faded as he noticed the way that Shelby was swaying. Kneeling down in front of him, Clark ran a hand over his head.

"Has Lois been giving you beer or something Shelbs?" Shelby tilted his head to the side and whined loudly, he sounded so sad. Clark stroked his back, patting him gently on the side.

"What's the matter huh?" He asked softly, his brow creasing as he spotted something sticking out of his side. He pulled it out and examined it. It was a dart of some sort. All at once, Clark's senses kicked into gear and he realised that he couldn't hear Lois anywhere. He quickly scanned the whole house and the barn too, she wasn't anywhere to be seen.

"Where is she Shelby?" He whispered, getting worried as Shelby continued to whine.

"It's okay boy, don't worry, I'll find her." And with that, he had changed into his Superman outfit, and was out the door in a flash.

"Chloe, thank God you're still here. I need your help." He said as he burst into the Watchtower half an hour later.

She spun round to face him. "What's wrong?"

"Lois is missing. I've searched everywhere Chloe, I can't find her." He said, and Chloe was shocked to see the state he was in. He was all jittery and on edge. She placed both her hands on his shoulders and looked into his eyes.

"Okay Clark, calm down. We'll find her."

"Chloe…" His voice was tinged with pain and she couldn't bear to hear it.

"We'll find her Clark." She said adamantly. "Nothing is going to happen to Lois or your baby, I promise."

* * *

Lois slowly stepped inside the intricately decorated nursery and stopped in front of him whilst maintaining a distance. "Toby, what are you doing?"

"You don't like it?" He frowned, looking disappointed. "This is our home Lois, you, me and the baby are gonna be so happy here."

"What are you talking about? We don't have a home Toby, because we aren't a couple." She said softly.

"But we could be. Don't you see that I only want what's best for you and our baby?"

Lois shook her head, he was clearly sick. "This is my baby, mine and Clark's. You remember Clark right? My husband?"

He grinned his nose up in distaste. "Yeah I remember him alright."

"Then you know that you can't do this Toby. This is his child and he will come looking for me."

"Good luck finding you, this place isn't registered to me so it'll take a while." He threw the bear down into the white crib and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Why do you love him Lois? He treats you so badly."

"Who Clark?" She said in surprise, how could anyone have that opinion of him? "How can you say that Toby, Clark's the sweetest guy I've ever known. And he loves me."

"Yeah," Toby scoffed. "He loves you so much he takes off, leaving you alone all the time. He leaves you to make up excuses to the chief for him, and most importantly, he leaves you alone to deal with everything that's going on while you are carrying his child. It's disgusting."

"You don't understand…" She started, but he cut her off.

"I would never do that to you Lois. If you were in my life, I would spend every second of every day showing you how much you mean to me. I see what he does to you and it's not right."

Okay, now she was getting angry. "Look, whatever feelings you think you have, they are certainly not love Toby. And I'm pretty sure that kidnapping and drugging is a hell of a lot worse than letting me cover for you while you pull a disappearing act. In fact, I'm thinking there's even laws against that kind of thing." She said, unable to keep the sarcasm coming through in her tone.

"Kidnap?" He asked, shocked at the very thought.

"What do you think this is?" She said, gesturing wildly around the room. "You're keeping me here against my will and…" A wave of pain stopped her talking, she grabbed her stomach and grimaced as it hit her hard.

"Lois, are you okay?"

"Stay away from me Toby," She grunted, leaning over slightly to get her breath back. He made a move towards her anyway, but he didn't get far. Lois placed her hand on his chest, halting him, she really didn't want to hurt him.

But as he made a move forward she had no choice, she pushed him as softly as she could but it still sent him flying into the wall. He shook his head, dazed for a moment, then started to get back up. Before she could hit him again, another pain hit her, this one stronger than the last, making her cry out a little.

"Let me help you Lois." He pleaded.

"Don't touch me you psychotic little freak!" She yelled. "Listen, I don't love you, I've never loved you and I never will! You got that?"

Tears began to fall down his cheeks. "You don't mean that."

"The hell I don't!" She bit back, panting hard against the pain.

His face twisted into an angry snarl and she barely had time to react as he lunged for her. But she raised her fist just in time, felt it connect with his jaw and watched as he fell to the ground, unconscious. She stood there for minutes, watching him, but he didn't move. He wasn't dead, but he was out.

The pain slowly started fading, well enough for her to think clearly enough. She headed back into the living room and looked around for a phone. Spotting her jacket lying on the floor by the sofa, she walked slowly over to it.

"Please, please, please be in there. Don't let this be the one day that it isn't." She muttered to herself, smiling as she reached into her jacket pocket and felt what she needed. Pulling out her cell phone, she quickly dialled Clark's number. It was only after he'd answered after the second ring that she realised she could've just yelled for him. But oh well, too late now.

"Lois! Thank God, where are you?" He said and she could hear the fear and panic in his voice. "Are you okay?"

"Clark I'm okay but I need you…" She said, grimacing as she felt another wave of pain coming on.

"Lois? Lois! Talk to me! Tell me where you are!" Just as she was about to speak, she felt a strange pop in her lower region and she looked down at the puddle now gathering at her feet. With wide eyes, she put the phone back to her ear. "You'd better get here quick Clark. My water just broke."

"What? Where are you?"

"I don't know! Can't you just…?"

As soon as she'd said that, she heard his voice behind her. "Lois!" A second later, he was pulling her into his arms.

"Are you okay?" He asked, pulling back to assess her from head to toe. She placed her hand on his cheek, guiding his head back up to look her in the eyes.

"I'm fine, but Clark…" Her eyes widened as another pain hit her and she felt the overwhelming urge to push. "Clark, there's no time. The baby's coming!" She said breathlessly.

"Now?" She nodded as she doubled over in pain. "Can I get you to the hospital?"

"I don't think so."

He tried to quell the raging shakes he had and focus on Lois. She was really scared and even though he was too, he needed to be the strong one. The hospital was on the other side of the city, he knew he had no time to get her there safely, that only left him with one other option, though he hated the very idea of it. But he had no choice at the moment. Helen's office wasn't far from here.

"It's gonna be okay Lo…" He picked her up into his arms and once she was settled, he took off out the door.

_**To Be Continued...**_


	30. Chapter 29

_**Chapter Twenty Nine**_

Helen screamed as the door blew open into her office. It took her a few seconds to register that she wasn't under attack as she saw Clark come to a stop in front of her, carrying a very worried and pained looking Lois.

"Clark, what…?"

"There's no time for talk Helen, Lois is in labour."

"Oh my God!" She stepped around her desk as Clark laid Lois down on the bed she had been examined on countless times before. She looked awful, her face was pale and sweaty and she was literally shaking from the pain she was in, clutching at her stomach with both hands.

"Help her!" Clark yelled from behind, making her jump into action.

"Something's wrong Helen." Lois said quietly, gritting her teeth.

"Hold on Lois, I'm here. I won't let anything happen to you. Clark I need you to…"

"I'm not leaving her." He stated, his eyes boring holes into hers.

"I wasn't suggesting you should." She replied icily.

He was still angry with her, that much she knew, but he'd obviously had no choice but to bring Lois here so she had to do the best she could. She grabbed his hand and dragged him over to the corner of the room, his eyes burned with hatred for her. It was a little hard to take, but she had no time to think about it right now. She had to make this situation right somehow.

Defiantly, she looked up into his eyes, unflinching. "Clark, you can hate me all you want later. Right now we need to get this baby delivered safely and I don't have all the right equipment. This is why I wanted her to be admitted to a hospital. I have no idea how..."

Clark held his hand up and stopped her dead. "What do you need?"

She took a few moments to think, her body working on adrenaline since the moment he'd burst through the door. "Grab that monitor and move it over to the bed, then go into the next room and get me as many towels as you can find. I know we can't hear the baby's heartbeat, that's where you'll have to come in, but I can at least keep an eye on Lois."

"Is that it?"

"For now," She replied, and started heading back to Lois. But Clark grabbed her arm and stopped her, staring straight into her eyes.

"Helen, my whole life is lying on that bed." He said, making sure she understood that there was no room for mistakes. She nodded and walked off, by the time she had gotten back over to Lois, the stuff Clark had been sent for, was sitting right in front of her. She shook her head, though it was incredible to actually witness, she simply had no time to appreciate it.

"Lois, it's okay…" Helen said, squeezing her trembling hand lightly as she panted. "I'm gonna help you okay?"

Lois nodded. "Something doesn't feel right," She said, pointing to her stomach. Helen frowned and lifted her shirt then prodded certain areas of her abdomen.

"Oh no…" She murmured quietly to herself.

"What is it?" Clark demanded, right next to her.

Helen took a deep breath and tried to smile, though it felt tight on her face. She was worried, she was alone and she had to deal with this herself. This was the first baby she was going to deliver and as if that weren't bad enough, it wasn't a normal human birth. Having Clark hover over her shoulder wasn't helping her nerves much either.

Clearing her throat, she looked straight at Lois. "Lois, I think the baby is in a breech position…"

"What does that mean?" Clark interrupted, going round to Lois' other side.

"It means that the baby is in the wrong position, head up instead of head down." Lois' eyes widened with panic. "Don't worry Lois, I'm going to do everything I can to make sure that this baby is born safely, but it's going to take a little extra effort on your part. But with your strength, I'm sure you'll be able to handle it." She smiled, but even she wasn't sure if this was something Lois could handle. She took Lois' trousers off, draped a sheet over her lower half, and began her examination.

"Lois, you're almost fully dilated. Now, the baby is going to come out feet first, but don't be alarmed, a lot of babies are born this way, it's not common, but it does happen."

She glanced over at the monitor, there was only the sound of Lois' heartbeat coming through. "Clark, can you listen to the baby's heartbeat? Time it for me." She said, handing him her watch.

He took it and focused his attention on Lois' stomach. After a minute he looked back up at Helen. "It's one-twenty." He said, his voice croaking a little.

"That sounds about right, but keep monitoring it, let me know if anything changes. Just sit tight Lois, I'll be right back. I need to go and get some clean warm water, you're doing just fine." Helen reached over and patted Lois on the arm and headed out of the door, leaving Lois and Clark alone.

Clark pulled a chair over and sat down, leaning in to bring his face close to Lois'. He swept her hair back from her forehead as he watched her. "How you doing?"

She grimaced as another contraction hit her, squeezing his hand so hard that it actually hurt him a little. "I'm nervous Clark." She said after it faded, and the tone in her voice broke his heart. "I'm not ready for this."

Clark frowned, he'd thought she'd gotten over her fear of being a bad mother. "Lois, you're doing great, you're gonna be a fantastic…"

"No! Not that! I'm not ready for this…_now_. It's too early Clark, we're not prepared. We thought we had plenty of time to get all the things we needed, we were fooling ourselves. We knew this could happen and we aren't prepared. We only have a crib and a few clothes!"

"Lois, relax honey, we can get all those things. Just concentrate on our baby, in a few minutes, we'll get to hold him or her." He said, trying to calm her, but something he'd said had caused the opposite effect. She stared deep into his eyes and he could see tears pooling in hers.

"We don't even have any names picked out!"

Taking a deep breath, Clark knew he had to try something to ease her concerns. "Okay, well how about Harriet."

"What?" She panted, breathing through the pain.

"Frederick?" He only said that one to make her smile, but it didn't work, not that he was surprised.

"Where are you getting these names Smallville, the nineteen-forties?" She asked incredulously. "Ugh! Never mind," She huffed, squeezing his hand again as another one hit her hard, this one lasting a little longer.

When it started to fade, she turned her head to look at him. "Did you call Chloe? Or your mom?"

"Yeah, I called them when I went next door to get some towels. They're on their way."

Lois nodded and tried to relax her body a little. "Clark, I know that I give you a lot of grief sometimes and I know I don't say it a lot but…I do love you, you know…I love you so much. More than you can ever possibly know. If something should happen…"

Clark couldn't take hearing that from her. Just the thought that anything could happen to her, turned his blood to ice and made his heart hurt. "Hey, you listen to me, nothing is going to happen to you."

"But we don't know that, Jor-El said…"

"I don't care what he said Lo, I almost lost you once before, I won't let that happen again. You're Lois Lane, if anyone can do this, it's you."

"Kent. Lois Lane-Kent." She breathed harshly. "Can't anyone get that right?"

"Sshh, it's okay sweetie, it'll be alright I promise."

"Clark, don't leave me." She said, and the warning was evident in her gaze. She was afraid that he would have to disappear while she was in labour. That someone or something would call him away from her. That made him feel terrible.

"Oh Lois," He sighed, touching his forehead to hers. "That won't happen. I'm not going anywhere, I promise."

"You better not." She grunted as Helen reappeared in the room carrying a large bowl of water.

"How we doing Lois?" She asked, taking a look at the monitor before re-examining Lois. "Wow, that was fast, you're fully dilated."

Lois glared at Clark. "This whole thing has been fast. And it's all his fault."

"My fault? Wait a second, I didn't make this baby on my own you know." He retorted, but then found himself wishing that the ground would open up and swallow him at the death glare he received from his wife. _Note to self: never anger Lois when she's in labour._

She poked him hard in the chest. "I'm seven months pregnant Clark, _seven_, and I'm in labour, a labour that is moving very, very fast."

He opened his mouth to reply, but then thought better of it as he received yet another poke in the chest. "And don't sass me when I'm giving birth to your child!"

"Lois." Helen's voice broke them out of their argument. She pressed down on Lois' stomach, trying to manoeuvre the baby into the correct position. Suddenly, Lois was hit with an overwhelming urge.

"Helen, I need to push!" She cried out.

Helen looked up at Lois, to Clark and then back to Lois. She drew in a nervous breath. "Then it's time."

* * *

"Jimmy!" Chloe shouted. "How long have you lived in Metropolis?"

"A long time Chlo." He bit out between clenched teeth.

"And you don't know a stop sign when you see one? And, you're going the wrong way you know."

"I'm sorry okay?" He yelled back. "But I'm under pressure here and I can't be expected to remember everything and it's not like we've ever been to this place!"

Chloe snorted, watching the road in front of the them as Jimmy continued to go the wrong way. "How are you under pressure?"

"Are you kidding me? Your cousin is giving birth, you're breathing down my neck to get us there on time and…whoa!" He swerved to avoid an oncoming car, since he'd drifted over the other side whilst talking to his wife.

"Much as I'd love to get there on time Jimmy, I think I'd settle for getting there alive instead. Pull over and I'll drive." Jimmy did so and got out of the car, opening her door for her. Once they were in opposite seats, Chloe took off like a race track driver, making Jimmy clutch the dash as if in fear for his life.

"I don't know why you didn't just drive in the first place." Jimmy grumbled.

Chloe shot him a look. "Because I needed to keep my hands free in case Clark called again and needed something. Never mind, we'll be there in about ten minutes anyway."

"Has anyone called Mrs K yet?"

"Clark said he already called her, she should be on her way." Chloe replied, a little calmer now that they were headed in the right direction.

She was nervous enough herself, Lois was giving birth, to a half Kryptonian baby. No one had any idea as to what could happen to her or the baby. Clark must be going out of his mind, she thought. She could almost picture him, running around like a headless chicken, panicking, making Helen's job harder. She frowned at that thought. She still wasn't happy that Helen was involved. All the evidence seemed to point to her giving Lois' blood to Lex.

"So what happened with Toby? I can't believe he would kidnap Lois." Jimmy asked, with a shake of his head. Chloe knew that he and Toby had become sort of like friends over recent months, so this was probably hard for him to take in.

"He's sick Jimmy. There's obviously something very wrong with him. He decorated a nursery in the hopes that he and Lois would raise the baby together."

"You're kidding!"

"I wish I were. He's obsessed with Lois, says he loves her. We should've seen this coming. She went into labour while he was holding her captive." Chloe let out a tired sigh.

She had watched as the police escorted him away, making sure that he was gone and no longer a danger to her cousin or any other woman out there. "I just hope he gets the help he needs, Lois wasn't the first woman he's done this to."

Jimmy sat back in his seat, a stunned expression on his face. "Man, I can't believe it. He seemed like such a nice guy."

"He probably is, he just has a lot of issues. And, I have reason to believe that he was working with or for Lex."

She saw Jimmy's frown. "What makes you say that? I mean I know Toby's a little cuckoo, but working for Lex? Come on," He scoffed.

"I found evidence on Lex's computer that Toby had been in prison for the very thing he did tonight. Kidnapping. That, and I found two accounts where a large amount of money had been deposited, one of which was used to buy the house that he had taken Lois to."

"Wow, can't argue with that can ya? Does Clark know about this?"

"Not yet, he only knows that Lex has Toby's criminal records."

"Are you going to tell him?"

Chloe stared out at the bright lights of the Metropolis streets, and drew in a heavy breath. "I will, just not yet. He needs to focus on his family right now. That's the most important thing."

* * *

Lex threw his brandy glass against the wall, smashing it into a million pieces.  
"I can't believe this! You're telling me that there's nothing in that blood that will help?"

His doctor stood at the side of his desk, waiting for the storm to calm before she spoke. Lex collapsed into his chair, breathing heavily from his outburst. "All this work, for nothing!"

"I'm sorry sir, but the blood just isn't viable anymore. It wouldn't work even if it did have the properties you were looking for. I'm afraid it's just simply, human blood."

"That's impossible, the woman it came from is carrying an alien baby. The same alien that did this to me!" He yelled, pointing at his scarred face. "There has to be something in it that can be used."

She shook her head. "I'm afraid not."

Lex growled in frustration, why did this news have to come now of all times? When he'd just found out that Toby had been arrested and was being held downtown on a kidnapping charge. Stupid idiot, he'd taken Lois and now he had been arrested for it.

He'd made some calls, it seemed that Toby was on the verge of a breakdown of some kind and the arresting officer had made a decision to call in a doctor before he officially charged him. Toby was a major loose end, and Lex hated loose ends. Anything Toby said could be brought back to him, he had to take care of him, but with recent developments, he now knew that he still needed him too.

Letting out a sigh he looked up at his doctor. "There's something I need you to do Lisa."

"Which is?" She replied, raising a brow.

"I need you to head to Metropolis PD…"

She nodded in understanding, without any words needing to be spoken from Lex. She was a loyal employee and he knew that she at least, could be trusted, if no one else could.

"What about the blood sir? What are you going to do?" She asked.

Lex stared into his fireplace, his eyes reflecting the flames, giving him a maniacal look. "If I can't get it from the mother, I guess I'm just going to have to get it straight from the source."

* * *

Lois flopped back against the bed with a thump, breathing hard, her face damp with sweat and red from exertion.

"I can't do anymore Helen, I really can't." She panted. Clark dipped the washcloth into the bowl of cold water and ran it across her forehead again. He felt useless, she was going through so much pain to bring their child into the world and all he could do was watch. Even with all his abilities, he could do nothing but watch. But the more he saw, the more he fell in love with her, if that was even possible. She was just simply…amazing. There really were no words to describe her at that moment.

"Lois, the baby is almost out, I just need you give me one more push. Now as you push, I'm going to turn the baby, so that the shoulders come out a little easier. When the next contraction hits, I need you to push like hell, do you understand?" Helen said, her eyes mimicking the intensity that was in her voice. "You have to keep pushing for as long as you can Lois, otherwise the head will get stuck,"

Lois closed her eyes for a second and grimaced as she started to feel another contraction coming. "I can't!" She cried, she was exhausted. Clark got up and helped her into a sitting position. He sat himself on the bed behind her and let her lean back into his chest.

"Oh God, it's coming now." She said, starting to breath heavily again.

"Okay Lois, take a deep breath…and then push as hard as you can. You can do it!" Helen said.

Clark gave her his hands as she leaned forward. She took a deep breath, let out a tiny little whimper that made Clark's chest ache for her, and then she began to push. She screamed as she squeezed Clark's hands, her knuckles pure white with the pressure. He ignored the pain and concentrated on her, trying in any way he could to give her a bit of his strength, to help her.  
She dragged in a few ragged breaths.

"Lois, you can't stop you hear me? You have to keep going!" Helen shouted.

Clark felt Lois' chest shudder as a sob escaped her. "I can't."

He placed his lips next to her ear and spoke in quiet, soothing tones. "Yes you can Lois, I know this has to be hard for you, I can't even imagine what you're going through. But you have to do this, our baby needs you to do this. Come on sweetheart, just keep pushing and then you can hold your baby in your arms."

"Okay…" She gasped. "But next time, you can do this part!" Despite the situation, Clark found himself smiling at that.

Lois continued to push, harder and harder, her scream growing in volume as she did so. Clark wrapped his arms around her, holding onto both of her hands tightly, finding himself actually holding his breath as Lois pushed.

And then….there it was. The most breathtaking sound he had ever heard in his life. His baby's first cry. After a couple of silent moments, he saw Helen stand up abruptly, rushing over to the bowl of clean water as Lois collapsed against his chest.

He watched for a few agonising minutes as Helen cleaned the baby up, swaddling the little figure in clean fresh towels before finally, bringing the baby back over to them.

"Before you say anything Helen," Lois said, breathlessly, her eyes half closed from exhaustion. "Are there ten little fingers and toes?"

Helen chuckled, handing the baby over to Lois, laying the little bundle directly across Lois' chest. "Yes Lois, all present and correct." She glanced up at Clark, who was watching the baby with the most adorable eyes.

"From what I can tell, she's perfectly healthy."

Clark's face broke out into the biggest smile as Lois turned her head weakly to look up at him.

"We have a girl Lois…" He felt the tears running down his face but he didn't care. He captured Lois' mouth in a loving kiss.

"Chloe's gonna be p****d." She chuckled.

Lois looked back down at her new little girl and gasped. Staring back up at her, were two of the most intensely blue eyes she had ever seen. She didn't think it was even possible to have eyes that blue, crystal blue, they were definitely her daddy's eyes. She ran a gentle hand over the full head of dark brown, almost black, fuzzy hair.

"Look what we did Smallville."

**_To Be Continued..._**


	31. Chapter 30

_**Chapter Thirty  
**_

Clark's hands were still shaking as he sat beside Lois' bed, watching her and their newborn daughter with awe. He couldn't stop staring at the perfect little form in Lois' arms. _I have a daughte_r. It was such an incredible feeling. He had to keep pinching himself to make sure that it was really real. That she was really there and not just some fantastic dream he was having.

He barely registered Helen pottering around, checking Lois and the baby out to make sure that they were really both okay. So far she seemed satisfied that they were. Eventually, she excused herself to let them have some time alone and to call an ambulance to take them to the hospital.

Clark had initially refused, but Helen had calmly pointed out that her birth needed to be properly documented and both Lois and the baby needed to be checked out with the correct equipment. It was only after she'd agreed to be the one to do the tests, that Clark let her go.

He hadn't wanted to let Helen do it, but who else at this point could he trust? At least this way, Lois and the baby would get the care they needed, nothing was more important than that, their secret would be relatively safe, and he would be there the whole time, keeping an eye on everything that Helen did.

Lois bent her head down, placing a soft kiss on the baby's forehead as she slept against her chest. Through tear filled eyes, Clark watched his new daughter, committing every feature to his memory. She was perfect, she had Lois' nose and mouth, and even her ears.

Each breath she took amazed him. Then she started stirring, and as her little eyes slowly started fluttering open, Clark thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in his entire life. He felt Lois' hand slide inside his, squeezing lightly to get his attention.

"Are you okay?" She asked, her voice husky from all the screaming she'd done. Clark felt bad for the amount of pain she had been in, she hadn't been able to have any drugs because there simply hadn't been time. He wondered how much worse it could've been if she didn't have her increased strength. He shuddered at the thought.

His eyes met hers, he could see them starting to droop. She was so exhausted, but the happiness and love he saw there was overwhelming. He had no idea how to begin to tell her how proud he was of her.

"I'm…" He started to reply, but trailed off when he realised that he couldn't get the words past the huge lump in his throat.

Lois smiled. "I know Smallville. We did good didn't we?" She said, looking back down at her.

Clark nodded, unable to speak. He leaned across the bed and pressed his lips to Lois' in a long, drawn out kiss that spoke volumes. When he pulled back, he saw tears beginning to pool in her eyes.

"Thank you." He whispered, leaning his forehead against hers.

"For what? You did help a little too you know." She chuckled, tiredly.

"You know what for. Thank you for making my dreams come true. I know that sounds corny but not once in my life did I think I would ever have this. Then I married the woman of my dreams, the love of my life and I thought it couldn't get any better than that. I thought that maybe that was all I was destined to have and I would've been happy enough with that. But then…"

He reached out and tenderly laid his hand over his daughter's back. He marvelled at how small she was, his hand covered her entire back. "We created something so special, together. I didn't even know if it was possible to have children with a human. She's our little miracle Lo."

Neither of them saw the door open slightly, Chloe's head peek in, then disappear again.

Lois shifted a little, sitting a little more upright. "She certainly is. But Clark, you have nothing to thank me for. We were both lucky enough to fall in love with each other, and now, we're a family. So thank _you_Smallville." She grabbed the back of his head, pulling him closer to her, kissing him lovingly.

"That being said, don't think for one moment that I've forgotten what you said while I was in labour."

He raised his eyebrows, shooting her an innocent look. "And don't give me those puppy eyes either."

"What did I say?" He asked, racking his brain to try and remember what he'd actually said that could land him in the doghouse. He couldn't think of anything.

"The whole sassing me thing whilst giving birth to your child." She reminded him.

"Lois, I simply pointed out that I was not the only one responsible for you being in labour." He caught her look and grinned. "But, I'm sorry I chose that moment to comment on it. Okay?"

Lois rolled her eyes but grinned, looking back down at her daughter who was now fully awake. "Your father is a real comedian kiddo. Hmm, what on earth are we going to call you huh?" Lois asked, frowning in thought. "I can't think of anything that suits you."

"We have time Lo, we'll find something." Almost instinctively, the baby turned her head towards the sound of Clark's voice and his breath caught in his throat. He remembered reading that newborns couldn't see much further than about eight or so inches but then again, his daughter was unique, so he leaned in, bringing his face close to hers. He didn't actually know whether or not she could see him clearly, but her tiny little blue eyes seemed to be studying his face.

"She knows who you are Clark. Talk to her, like you did when I was pregnant. She knows your voice." Lois said quietly, and he glanced up to see her smiling proudly at the both of them.

He turned back to the little girl, and he felt the biggest smile light up his entire face. "Hi baby, do you know who I am? I'm your daddy. Wow, that is such a weird word to me, but…I am. I'm your daddy."

Though he knew he must be imagining it, he thought he saw a tiny little smile tugging at her lips.

"Do you wanna hold her?" Lois asked, already moving the baby to pass her over.

Clark didn't have a chance to reply as she gently handed her to him and he swallowed hard as he got her safely positioned in his arms. His hands were shaking so badly he was afraid of dropping her. She continued to stare at him, silently assessing him.

"See, she likes you." Lois said, leaning her head back against her pillow to watch the scene before her.

Clark chuckled, shifting her a little to make sure she was still wrapped up warm in the towels Helen had swaddled her with. And then, she broke out into the loudest wail that Clark had ever heard. He immediately began to panic.

"What did I do? Is she okay?" He asked Lois, who was grinning at him.

He carefully handed her back and almost straight away, she stopped crying. Clark couldn't help the pang of disappointment that went through him. His daughter already preferred Lois over him. Though he couldn't exactly blame her. She was the one who had carried her and kept her safe.

Lois' heartbeat and voice was the one she'd heard every day. She'd heard his too, he'd always spoken about how he couldn't wait to meet her and he told her stories about his life and how he'd come to fall in love with her mother, but he couldn't compare with Lois. Of course she would feel safer in her mother's arms. That thought made Clark feel a little better.

"She's fine Smallville, I think she's just hungry. Maybe we should try feeding you again huh little one?" Lois said, moving her gown across so that she could try to nurse her again. The first time she'd tried, the baby had failed to latch on and even though Lois was disappointed, she refused to give up. The baby turned her head towards Lois' breast, her mouth making a little puckering motion as she got close.

"Oh wow," Lois gasped as she finally latched on and began to suckle. "That feels so weird. But good weird, you know?"

"Not really Lo." Clark replied with a laugh. Lois rolled her eyes and chuckled.

"Oh, Mom's here, I'll be right back." He got up and kissed Lois on the lips, then leaned down and kissed his daughter's soft fuzzy hair. Sighing as he glanced at them once more, he opened the door and walked out to see Chloe, Jimmy and Martha all watching him in anticipation.

"Oh sweetheart!" Martha cried, rushing towards him. "Are they okay?"

"They're both fine mom. Lois and the baby are just fine. But an ambulance is on it's way to take them to the hospital to get them checked out."

Chloe stepped up, bouncing in excitement. "So, is it a boy?"

Clark chuckled, knowing how adamant she had been that it would be a boy and Lois' comment that Chloe was going to be annoyed to find out otherwise. "Sorry Chloe, it's a girl."

Martha gasped in delight and Jimmy smiled, whilst Chloe pouted. "Oh man, I was so sure. I guess you were right Mrs K."

"She usually is." Clark replied, as Martha flung her arms around him, hugging him tightly.

"Oh my, I have a granddaughter." She started crying, and Clark could feel the shoulder of his shirt getting wet.

"She's so precious mom, you're gonna love her."

"I already do Clark. Can we see them?" She said, wiping at her eyes with a tissue that Clark noticed she had an abundance of. He chuckled to himself, she had obviously come prepared.

"Well Lois is feeding her right now…"

"Say no more CK," Jimmy said, raising his hand. "Not that I wouldn't love to see the little tyke, but I don't really want to get my ass kicked for seeing one of Lois' boobs."  
Chloe smacked him in the shoulder, then hugged Clark.

"I'm so happy for you guys. It couldn't happen to two nicer people." She whispered in his ear. "You deserve this Clark."

"Thanks Chloe. I can't wait for you all to see her. She's just…" He sighed. "She's so adorable and sweet. She's like a little angel."

"Who does she look like?" Jimmy asked.

"Uh well, she has dark brown hair, Lois' nose and mouth and my eyes. She's just gorgeous." He beamed proudly.

Helen appeared from another room and stopped when she saw four pairs of eyes instantly zoom in on her. She could practically feel the hatred beaming from Chloe and Martha, though Clark looked much less hostile. But she was under no impression that their feud was over.

She nodded at them and walked over to the door to let the paramedics in, filling them in on their situation as she led them to Lois' room.

"I gotta go, but can you guys meet us at the hospital? I really want you to meet her." He said excitedly.

"Of course honey, we'll be there. Now go." Martha replied, watching as her son walked off. Her heart felt like it was going to burst with happiness. She had always feared that Clark would end up living his greatest fear, but now, thanks to a certain feisty brunette, his future looked a whole lot brighter.

* * *

Clark rushed back to the hospital, and after changing his clothes in an alley behind, he made his way up to the maternity unit. He hated that he'd had to leave almost as soon as they'd arrived, but it had been an emergency and no matter what was going on in his life, he knew that he had a duty.

It may hurt him sometimes, but he had to make sure that he continued to keep people safe. He wanted to make this world a safer place for his daughter to grow up in. That thought brought a dreamy smile to his lips._ My daughter_. He didn't think he would ever get used to that.

When he reached the right floor, he turned the corner to see Chloe and Jimmy heading out of the corridor arm in arm.

"Hey CK, we're just gonna go down to the cafeteria whilst Helen checks Lois and the baby out. You want anything?"

"No I'm good." He replied, eager to get back to his wife and child. But there was something he needed to know first. "So, what's going on with Toby? Did the police arrest him?"

"Yeah, he's currently being held on suspicion of kidnapping and stalking" Chloe replied, glumly.

"Suspicion? He outright did it!" Clark said angrily, thinking how close he'd been to missing his own daughter's birth because of Toby.

"We know that Clark, but the police can't charge him right away because they think he needs to be checked out by a doctor."

"Why? He wasn't hurt." Clark frowned.

"No, a psychiatrist Clark. He's clearly a very sick guy. He has a lot of mental issues."

"I don't care Chloe. He took my wife and I want him behind bars."

"Well we'll just have to wait and see what happens." Chloe replied, offering a small supportive smile.

"In the meantime, I suggest you get your butt back in there so that I can see my new niece sometime tonight." She said, dramatically emphasising the word, tonight.

Clark nodded and turned to walk away, this thing with Toby was still bothering him, but he wouldn't let Lois see that. This day was about them and them only.

"Where's my mom?"

"She's waiting for you. She said she wasn't hungry." Chloe replied.

"Okay thanks." He rounded the corner and saw Martha sitting in one of the chairs opposite Lois' room. Her head was bowed as she seemed to be studying the floor with a great deal of concentration.

"Mom? Are you okay?" He asked as he got near. She raised her head and smiled brightly, but he could see the sadness in her eyes. He sat down next to her, taking her hand in his.

"What is it mom?"

"It's nothing sweetheart. I'm just so happy for you and Lois." She sniffled.

"Mom," He said lowering his head to catch her eyes. She bit back a sob and exhaled loudly.

"It's just that…he would've loved to see this day Clark. He would've been so proud of you."

Clark's heart flipped in his chest at the mention of his father. "Oh mom, I wish he were here too." He replied, his voice tinged with pain.

"I don't mean to put a downer on your special day Clark. I just hope that he's looking down and he sees that little girl in there because even though I haven't seen her yet, I just know that she's the most precious thing to ever come into our lives. He would've loved being a grandfather, doting on his little girl."

Clark pulled her into a hug and kissed her on the forehead. "Well, we all know that you'll do enough doting for the both of you. And I know that he sees her mom, I just feel it. And I promise you, even though she can never meet him, she will always, always know who her granddad is."

That brought another sob out of Martha and Clark held her a little tighter. When she was done and feeling a little better, she let him go. He stepped inside Lois' room and paused near the door. Lois was fast asleep, looking extremely exhausted with black circles under her eyes. She was so beautiful. He walked over and kissed her softly on the cheek and then turned to face Helen who was standing at the foot of the bed.

"How are they?" He whispered, not wanting to wake either of his two girls up.

"They're both fine Clark. The baby weighs in at eight pounds, five ounces, so she's quite a big one," Helen chuckled.

Clark still wasn't sure how to feel about Helen. There was the obvious anger lying just beneath the surface but the way she had been during the delivery had been astounding. He was so confused, he didn't know what to think anymore. But this day wasn't about her, he would deal with her later. Today was about his family.

"But everything appears to be right on track, Lois and the baby are perfectly healthy. Congratulations Clark." Helen said sincerely.

Clark stared at her for a few moments and then said with a smile. "Thanks Helen."

She nodded and promptly left the room, leaving him alone with his two sleeping beauties. He walked over to his daughter's crib on the other side of Lois' bed and stared at the tiny little person lying there.

The room was silent and the moon shone through the window, casting a glow on the city below them. She was wearing a clean white suit now, hospital issued but he'd had no time to collect any of their things from home and his mom had left straightaway from her friend's house. So for now, it would have to do.

"You can pick her up you know, she is your daughter." Lois's voice croaked out and he looked over at her, seeing her watching him with tired eyes.

"I don't want to disturb her, she's had a busy day and she's got three relatives out there clambering to get in here at her. She needs all the rest she can get. And hey, you're supposed to be sleeping."

She waved a dismissive hand at him and gingerly sat up. "I can sleep later. I keep waking up anyway, making sure that she's really there. Clark," Her expression turned serious and so he sat down on the edge of her bed and took one of her hands in his.  
"What are we going to call her?"

"This is really worrying you isn't it?" He asked, reaching out to tuck her messy hair behind her ear..

"Yeah, I mean I know that we have time but I want to name her now. This is a name that she's going to be stuck with for the rest of her life and I don't want her getting picked on when she grows up."

"Lois, she's your daughter, if anything, she'll be the one doing the bullying." Clark chuckled but quickly shut up when he saw Lois' glare.

"She will be no such thing! I will not raise her to be a bully. She will have the same respect for people that her father has, the same manners and the same adorableness, okay, I don't think that's a word but you know what I mean," She huffed, drawing in a huge breath when she was done.

"Lois, calm down sweetheart, I'm sure we can think up something between us. Did you have any ideas in mind?"

Lois frowned in thought for a few moments. "One of the nurses gave me a baby name book and I picked out three that I like. One that really stands out, but I want to hear what you think first."

"Well, I kinda like the name Holly." Lois nodded and gestured for him to continue. "Amelia? Phoebe? Isobel? Those are all nice." He stopped for a moment, trying to think of more but coming up blank. This really was hard. He glanced over at his daughter, Lois was right, naming her was proving to be more difficult than he'd thought it would be.

"Huh." Lois said in thought.

"What?"

"Well," She said, a smile creeping up her face. He'd seen that look a million times before, it was the look she always got when an idea came to her. "One of the names you just mentioned, happens to be the one name that I really liked from the book."

Raising an eyebrow, he asked. "Which would be?"

"I'll tell you in a sec. Now, about the middle name. I wanted to do something special and name her after our mothers. But combining Ella, Martha and Lara is a little tricky. I did come up with one name that has most of the letters in there, except for the L's."  
Clark was getting impatient, he stood up and moved over to the crib, whilst still holding Lois' hand, unable to keep his eyes off his baby.

"What do you think of Tamarah? It has most of the important letters in it." Lois asked, a little sheepish. Clark's heart swelled at the gesture. His wife really was something special, she had been driving herself crazy trying to find a name for their child that would include their mother's letters. He loved her so much right now it actually hurt.

"I love it Lo. It's perfect." As he spoke, the baby began to wake, thrashing her arms and legs around in obvious displeasure at not being held. Clark reached in and after taking a moment's hesitation, which didn't go unnoticed by Lois, gently lifted her out. He stepped back to Lois and tried to hand her over, but Lois shook her head.

"Smallville, she's your daughter too." She reminded him again. She needed to see him holding their baby. He had only held her once so far and that was for all of thirty seconds before she started crying. She was beginning to get a little nervous that he didn't want to hold her.

"I know Lo, but what if I drop her? Or hold her too tight?" He asked and he looked at her with genuine fear in his eyes. Lois tilted her head and smiled sympathetically at him.

"She's not going to break Clark. And you are not going to drop her, have you ever dropped me?"

"That's different Lo." He replied, frowning at her. He sat on the edge of the bed and settled the baby on his lap, both hands protectively holding her in place.

"How? We were hundreds of feet in the air. If you didn't drop me, what makes you think you're going to drop her?"

Clark opened his mouth to reply, but closed it again and she felt a smug satisfaction that she had won that round. But her plan had worked anyway. As she had been talking to him, trying to distract him, he had sat down and positioned the baby safely in his embrace, and he hadn't even noticed that he was doing it. He was a natural.

It felt so good to see him holding her. Lois felt the tears building and cursed her stupid hormones, but if she couldn't cry now, when could she? This was the most intense and precious moment of her life. One she never wanted to forget. The birth part, the pain, that she could do with forgetting, and soon, but the rest of it. This, right here, watching her husband holding a tiny little baby in his arms, smiling down at her with such pride and adoration, this was what she'd dreamed of since she'd discovered she was pregnant.

"Okay, so where are all my adoring fans?" Lois asked, rubbing her hands together, pushing her fatigue back because she was eager to show her baby off.

Clark replied, his eyes glued to the child in his arms. "Mom's out in the hallway and…"

"What? What's she doing out there? Where's Chloe and Jimmy? Did you call Kara and Ollie?" Clark cursed under his breath, he knew he'd forgotten someone.

"Chloe and Jimmy went to the cafeteria while Helen was checking you two over and I'll go call Kara in a few minutes."

"Well don't just sit there, go and let your mom in here. Geez Smallville, she's only her grandmother for pete's sake." Lois said sarcastically. Clark simply smiled in return and handed the baby over to her, feeling far too wary about carrying her whilst walking.

"Mom? Oh hey guys," Clark opened the door to fine three faces staring back at him. "We have someone we'd like you to meet."

It was all Clark could do to stop Chloe and Martha from trampling him as they pushed past him to get inside. Jimmy however, was a little more reserved, pausing in the doorway next to Clark.

"She isn't…you know?" He asked warily. Clark let out a huge laugh and clapped him on the shoulder.

"No Jimmy, they're away, you're safe."

Still laughing, Clark made his way back over to the bed to sit next to Lois as she shifted their little girl around to face everyone. Chloe and Martha immediately started crying and Clark was surprised and amused to see even Jimmy squirt out a tear or two. They all stared at her in awe.

"She's so pretty." Jimmy murmured, causing everyone to laugh out loud. He cleared his throat and lowered his voice. "I mean uh, she's a good looking baby, actually that isn't really much better is it?" He gave up trying as Chloe laughed and wrapped an arm around his waist.

Lois leaned in and whispered something to Clark, and a bright smile broke out on his face as he looked into her eyes and nodded. "It's perfect."

"Everyone…" Lois said, turning back to her family. "We'd like you to meet, Phoebe Tamarah Kent."

**_To Be Continued..._**


	32. Chapter 31

_**Chapter Thirty One  
**_

Lois shuffled around her hospital room, gently swaying Phoebe from side to side in an effort to stop her crying. It wasn't working. Clark was gone again, out saving the day, so that left her all alone. After they had had their hugs and cuddles, Jimmy and Chloe had gone home to get some sleep and Martha had gone down to the cafeteria to get something to eat and to call Kara and Oliver. Lois had initially refused, stating that she didn't want to spoil their honeymoon but she knew that Kara would be angry if she wasn't told straightaway.

It was the early hours of the morning and Lois had tried to get Martha to go home and rest, but with Clark gone, Martha wouldn't hear of it. She didn't want to leave them alone with Helen either, Lois knew that. Her own feelings towards Helen were a little less clear than they had been that morning. How could she hate someone who'd helped bring her daughter into the world? She needed definitive proof that Helen was involved with Lex.

"Come on Phoebe, you're clean, you're fed, what else could you possibly need?" She said more to herself than to her daughter who was still crying. She wondered if maybe she was doing something wrong, she had no idea how to take care of a newborn baby and being on her own with her was a little scary.

She sat back down on the bed and cradled her baby girl in her arms. She took a moment to run a tender hand over her small, soft head. Her hair was so soft and fine and really thick.

"You do have my nose and mouth don't you?" She chuckled. "But your eyes are definitely your best feature my little girl. They're your daddy's eyes and they're so beautiful." She let out a contented sigh, rocking back and forth as Phoebe quietened down and simply lay there staring at Lois as if she could understand what she was saying.

"You're a very lucky little girl to have a daddy like Clark. He loves you so much. And just between you and me, I think he'll be a sucker for you, so whatever you want, just ask daddy and I bet he won't be able to say no. I might be a little more strict. I'm sorry for that, but it's the way I was raised."

She moved Phoebe onto her lap and cradled her head in both hands. "But I promise that I will always love you Phoebe, I will do my best to be a good mother to you, I may screw up sometimes but that's what your daddy's here for."

She leaned in close and rubbed her nose against Phoebe's. "Can I tell you a secret? Don't tell him I said this but, I don't know what I would've been without your daddy. He's my whole life, I love him so much it scares me sometimes. I hope that you find that kind of love when you're older. There's nothing like it in the world. Though Clark will probably say that you're not allowed to date until you're at least forty." She laughed and snuggled back into her pillows, raising her knees so that she could lay Phoebe across them and gaze at her. The little girl seemed quite content to just lay there and study her mother.

"I wish you could've met your grandma Ella, she would've loved you so much." Lois said quietly, her voice cracking a little at the mention of the mother she barely remembered.

"But you do have the world's greatest grandma right here with us. She's gonna be the one you can go to when your parents are driving you crazy and she'll teach you how to bake pies and all sorts of goodies. Let's face it, your mommy isn't exactly a chef in the kitchen so you'll have to learn from someone and who better than Martha Kent. She's been a mother to me since I arrived in Smallville…"

She let out a snort. "Who would've thought that the small podunk town I came to years ago, would actually be the best thing that ever happened to me. Well actually we have your aunt Chloe to thank for that, it's a long story and one you don't need to know about but if it weren't for that, I would never have found…my family."

"You have a whole other family as well, your daddy and your aunt Kara both come from…well, far away. It'll be their job to educate you on that I'm afraid, since I don't know much. And since you could very well turn out to be your father's daughter in more ways than one, he'll have a lot of work on his hands. But I think that with Kara's help, the three of you will be okay."

Phoebe's face contorted into a large yawn and Lois chuckled. "I'm sorry kiddo, I know the family history is a little boring but it's important that you know everything." Everything this little girl did was adorable. She couldn't stop staring at her, she kept checking just to make sure she was really real.

"I can't wait for grandpa Sam to meet you, he likes to act tough but I know as soon as he sees you, he'll melt. You'll have him eating out the palm of your hand in no time. Trust me, if there's one thing the General can't refuse, it's his girls."

Her thoughts then drifted to one man, one who was just as important as all the rest.

"Unfortunately, there is one man you won't get to meet, but just like grandma Ella, grandpa Jonathan will be looking down on you, and I know, I just know that he loves you already. You're his special little granddaughter and I promise that daddy and I will make sure that you know as much as you can about what a wonderful man he was."

Lois couldn't stop the tears from falling as she stared at her daughter. She was blessed with so much love, but it didn't ease the pain of knowing that there were two very special people who would never meet her. She shuddered as a sob wracked through her chest, the intensity of the moment crushing her, and then she was startled when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up into the tear filled smiling eyes of her mother-in-law. Her mother.

Without saying a word, Martha sat down next to her and pulled her into a sideways hug, one hand rubbing Lois' shoulder, the other had Phoebe's entire hand wrapped around one finger.

"Sshh, it's okay Lois. I'm here."

They stayed like that for a while, with Lois silently crying on Martha's shoulder until she felt the tears run dry. When she reared her head, she found that Phoebe had drifted off to sleep again and the room was very quiet.

"Feel better?" Martha asked.

Feeling a little embarrassed for her breakdown, Lois swiped at her nose and smiled. "Yeah, sorry about that. I don't know what came over me."

"You never have to apologise for crying Lois. You forget that although you like to act like a tough cookie, you're only human and you need to let it all out once in a while. Besides, you just had a baby, you're entitled to a few tears."

Gently, Martha eased Phoebe out of Lois' arms and walked over to her crib. She held her for a few moments, staring down at her with such love that Lois could feel the tears coming back again. But she pushed them away and watched a master at work. Martha was a natural mother. It made sense that she would be a natural grandmother too.

"She's so beautiful Lois, she looks so much like her mother. And sweetheart, you don't have to worry about Jonathan or your mother. They know who she is and they love her as much as I do right now. They'll always be watching over her. The ones we love never truly leave us, they stay with us, right here." She said, placing a hand over her heart.

Martha placed a sleeping Phoebe in her crib and moved back over to Lois, sitting down beside her again and taking her hand in hers.

"I know that I already told you how happy I am that you're in my son's life and that I'm so grateful to you for giving him something to believe in. But I never really said how much I loved you Lois. You're my daughter and the best one a mother could ask for. I'm not trying to take your mom's place, no one can do that but, some part of me feels like you're mine."

She sniffled as Lois leaned her head on her shoulder and snuggled down on the bed with her. Martha ran an idle hand through Lois' hair as she stared at the ceiling. "I was so happy the day you became my daughter-in-law. I thought to myself, it's finally official, Lois is finally a real part of my family and that was all I'd ever wanted."

"Even in the beginning when I used your home like a hotel and annoyed your son to no end?" Lois chuckled.

"I never saw it like that." Martha replied with a little chuckle of her own. "I was happy to have you in my home Lois. But with Clark, I don't know, I saw something there from the first time he brought you home. There was a fire in his eyes that I hadn't seen in a long time, only you put that there. He may have thought at the time that it was anger or annoyance, but I think a very small part of him knew on some level, that you were more than you appeared to be."

"You can't seriously expect me to believe that you thought we were destined to be together or something?" Lois said incredulously. "Not with the way we acted."

"Well I may not have seen the romance aspect but I did see the connection you two had. He'd never formed a bond like that with any other girl. Not even Chloe. Or Lana. I remember saying to Jonathan at the time that I knew you were more important to Clark than even he knew."

"You know, a lot of people say that they saw something there before we did. I wonder how we could've been so blind."

"Love often is. I'm not saying you two fell deeply in love at first sight, but you got under his skin in a way that no other girl has." Martha placed a loving kiss on Lois' temple, stretching her feet out on the bed next to her. "Lois?"

"Hmm?" Lois murmured, her eyes becoming heavy as she snuggled into Martha's side.

"You remember that conversation we had years ago, about meeting the right guy?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Well sweetheart, you finally found your Jonathan." She whispered.

* * *

Clark returned to the hospital a little later that morning, it was still dark outside and he was exhausted from having virtually no sleep and having to help out with a train wreck and he just wanted to take his family home. He smiled to himself, _my family_. He honestly didn't think he could get any happier until he entered Lois' room and the sight that greeted him, melted his heart instantly.

His wife was fast asleep on the bed, and his mother lay next to her, one arm around her shoulders, the other behind her head as she slept too. They looked so peaceful he didn't have the heart to wake them.

His daughter however, had no such problem as she began crying and shifting restlessly. He made his way over to her and smiled into the crib. Each time he saw her his heart skipped a beat and he wondered if that feeling would ever fade. He never wanted it to. He just couldn't believe that he was a father. But more than that, he couldn't believe that this little girl, was his, a part of him and a part of Lois.

"Hey, what's all this noise for huh?" He muttered quietly. He really wanted to let Lois and his mom sleep, Lois needed her rest after the eventful night she'd had. But he was afraid to pick her up on his own.

As Phoebe's cries became louder, he knew he had no choice and he wanted nothing more than to hold her in his arms. So he reached in and very slowly and carefully, lifted her out. She stopped crying almost immediately, her blue eyes searching out his own.

"That's better. See? There's no need to make such a fuss baby girl. Were you just feeling a little left out? Well, never mind, daddy's here now. Let's let mommy and grandma have some sleep huh?"

He glanced at the chair on the other side of the room and back down at the baby in his arms, it seemed like an impossible destination but he had to try it. Holding her gently but firmly in both arms, Clark slowly shuffled over to the chair, elated when he reached it, and sat down.

"Hey look at that, we made it and I didn't drop you." He chuckled. "Okay I know that's a bad thing to say but seriously, you're so small and I'm a little scared of breaking you."

He sighed happily. "I love you so much Phoebe, you and your mom are everything to me. There may be days where I may not be able to be there like all the other dads but I want you to know that it has nothing to do with you. If I had a choice, I'd be there every second, but I don't. You see Phoebe, daddy has a responsibility to the world, and it may not seem very fair at times but I can't turn my back on that. I really hope that you can understand when you're a little older. I never want to disappoint or hurt you."

"So I promise that I will try my hardest to be there for you. It's just a matter of finding the right balance. Your mom and I had a pretty good balance before, but now that you're here, things are changing." He frowned as a random thought popped into his head. Lex. "There may be times when someone wants to hurt us, but I swear to you, that I will never let anyone or anything hurt you baby girl. I will always protect you."

Phoebe let out a tiny little whimper and her face puckered for a moment before Clark knew that something big was brewing. Then she started crying again, wriggling in his arms as if she were uncomfortable.

"What's wrong huh? Are you hungry?" He glanced over at his sleeping wife, he really didn't want to wake her yet. And then he smelled it.

"Wow, is that you? Huh, guess someone needs a diaper change then. Okay, we can do this. How hard can it be right?"

He got up and walked over to the changing table, carefully lying her down before trying to find a new diaper from underneath it. He grinned as he spotted all the stuff he needed, a fresh diaper, some wet wipes and a little bag to put the dirty one in. "See Phoebe, your daddy's not so useless at this after all."

Five minutes later, Clark was getting frustrated. How hard could it be to put on a diaper, he'd done it before with Evan, so how was this time any different? As he stared down at his now naked daughter who had stopped crying and was perfectly happy just kicking her little legs about, he wondered where he was going wrong.

He'd taken her sleep suit off to get to her diaper, unaware that they had buttons all along the legs and the bottom so that he wouldn't have to take it off completely, and then he'd taken her diaper off and put it in the bag.

After he'd cleaned up her bottom whilst holding his breath, he was at a loss as to how to put the new one on. She was wriggling and squirming so much that he just couldn't do it.

"There has got to be an easier way to do this Phoebe Kent." He frowned, not completely unaware of the humour in the fact that he could lift a tractor with one hand, he could blow out a raging fire in one breath, but he couldn't put a diaper on a baby. He was suddenly glad that Lois was still asleep, she'd never let him live this down if she saw it.

"Okay, let's give it one more shot and then I'm calling in reinforcements." He threw a glance at his mother. Carefully, he lifted Phoebe's legs and placed the diaper underneath her, then he pulled out the little sticky tabs at the sides and tried to hold her legs still as he pulled the front part up and over her. He quickly pulled the sides over, pressing the sticky tabs down and smiled in triumph, standing back with his hands resting on his hips to assess his work.

"Not a bad job huh baby girl. That wasn't so difficult after all." He laughed as he began dressing her again.

But his smile soon faded into a concentrated look as he tried to figure out how to put her sleep suit back on. He got her legs in and then gently lifted her to pull it up her back and as he grabbed her hand to put it into her sleeve, she curled her fingers around one of his and held tight. He felt his eyes moistening, it was the most incredible feeling in the world. So tiny yet so strong. He quickly finished dressing her and picked her up, this time holding her upright against his chest with one hand cradling her head.

"I love you Phoebe." He whispered.

* * *

Helen sat down in her new office at the hospital and began working on Phoebe Kent's papers with a smile. For the first time in a long time, Helen was happy. She had just popped her head into Lois' room to let her know that she would be able to go home soon and what she'd seen had melted her heart completely.

Clark Kent, the strongest man on this planet, was cradling his newborn baby against his chest, whispering words of love into her ear as she drifted off to sleep. It was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen and it left her feeling a little sad that she would never have that with the man she loved.

All because of Lex Luthor. Not content with ruining her life by killing her husband, Lex was now on a mission to destroy the good work she was doing with Oliver and Clark. She was worried what he would do next.

She stood up and crossed over to her filing cabinet, but the sound of her door opening and closing quietly had her turning around.

"Clark." She said in surprise. He was the last person she'd expected to see right now.

"Helen, I need to talk to you." He moved into the room and paused next to her desk, looking as if he had something to say but didn't want to say it.

"What about? If this is about Lois, she can go home in a few minutes."

"No that's not what this is about but that's good to know." He fell silent, watching her for a moment. "Why did you do it Helen?" He asked softly.

She frowned and looked down at the ground.

"I just need to know why. We trusted you, I thought you had changed."

"I have Clark. I'm not the same person you knew in Smallville all those years ago."

"I wanted to believe that, I almost did." He ran a hand over his tired face, huffing out a sigh. "Maybe Chloe is right, maybe sometimes, my faith in humanity isn't exactly right. Maybe sometimes, I get it wrong."

She moved towards him, but had no idea what to do so she stopped and folded her arms in front of her. "Clark, I know that the evidence against me is pretty much…solid. But you have to believe me when I say that I had nothing to do with Lex getting a hold of Lois' blood and files."

"You were the only person with access to that safe Helen." Clark replied, yet his tone wasn't one of anger, it was of disappointment and somehow, to Helen that was worse. "That was the sole reason of it being in Oliver's apartment. The only people who could've gotten into it were me, Oliver and you."

"I don't know how he got it Clark but I never gave it to him."

"Then explain the money in your account. That came from Lex."

Her eyes widened for a second before recognition set in and she saw from the look on Clark's face that he assumed she knew what he was talking about.

"What money?"

"Oh come on Helen, you can't keep expecting me to believe your lies." The anger was starting to make itself known, that was good, Helen could deal with anger. It was easier somehow.

She shook her head and smiled sadly at him. "I'm sorry Clark, that you think I'm this evil person you've made me out to be. I had no idea about the money, I swear. I never did anything and I would never put your daughter at risk. Even if you think I'm capable of doing that to Lois, at least believe that I would never harm an innocent child."

Clark didn't know what to think. Part of him knew that Helen would never hurt Phoebe, but he couldn't ignore what was so blatantly obvious. The question now was, what was he going to do about it. He couldn't very well let her walk free for something like this. It was bad enough that Lex was out there, watching and waiting. But there was a little voice in the back of his head niggling away, saying that maybe, just maybe he could be wrong.

"So, what are you going to do?" Helen asked cautiously. Before he could answer, he heard a faint popping sound, and the shatter of glass and then, Helen fell to the ground.

He ran over and kneeled down next to her, vaguely registering that the bullet had come through the window she had been standing in front of.

"Helen? Helen!" He shouted, eyes bulging wide as he turned her over and saw the red stain growing on the front of her shirt.

"Hang on, I'm gonna get help." He moved to turn away but she grabbed his arm, halting him. Her breath started coming in short gasps as she tried to speak.

"Clark, I didn't do it. I swear I didn't." Tears began to fall from her eyes as she looked down at herself, the bullet had gone straight through her. Clark x-rayed her, it had barely missed her heart, but had gone through a lung.

"Hang in there, you're gonna be fine Helen," Clark said, his throat thickening. He didn't like what she'd done but she hadn't deserved this. No one did.

She began coughing and grabbed onto his sleeves tighter. "Clark listen to me. Lex made it look like I was the one responsible, he did come to me. He threatened me. But I told him to go to hell. I would never do that to you or Lois. And then he told me that he killed my husband."

Clark's eyes widened, Lex had killed Helen's husband? Of course he had, it was something that Lex Luthor would do. All of a sudden, a lot of things began to make a lot of sense. The way she'd acted so guarded whilst talking about Lex, he'd thought she was just hiding her connection to him, instead it was probably just a case of hearing his name caused her great pain.

And for that, Clark felt awful. If nothing else, he knew that she loved her husband and his death had been hard on her. And as he looked into her eyes he knew, in that one moment, he just felt that she was telling the truth. She was innocent.

"I'm sorry." He whispered. She shook her head and coughed, this time there was a little blood coming out of her mouth and he started panicking.

"No, it's okay. I can't blame you for it. I would've done the same thing. But I just wanted you to know that…working…with you, and Oliver…has been the most rewarding thing I've…ever done with my life. Thank you Clark." Her eyes started closing but he shook her gently.

"Helen, no, stay with me. You're gonna be fine. I'm gonna get you some help." He looked around frantically, seeing no one passing in the corridors.

"No, it's better this way. He won't stop tormenting me." As she drifted into unconsciousness, he laid her down gently and ran for the door and down to the nurses station at the end.

"Help! Someone's been shot." He yelled at a passing nurse. She yelled something back to the nurses station as Clark ran back in and was immediately followed by three other nurses. He stood back as they got to work, watching helplessly as they lifted her onto a gurney and wheeled her out of the room.

** _To Be Continued..._**


	33. Chapter 32

_**Chapter Thirty Two**_

They were home, finally his family was home, safe and sound. The sun was shining brightly in the early morning sky, casting a glow over the room as Clark stood in the kitchen watching Lois nursing his daughter on the sofa in the living room. She turned her head and smiled brightly at him, love shining in her eyes for all to see.

Except he was the only one there, Martha had headed on up to bed pretty much as soon as they'd arrived home, exhausted from being at the hospital all night. Though Clark suspected it was more to give him and Lois time to settle in with Phoebe. She always knew what to do and he was grateful for the sentiment.

"Smallville…" A perfectly shaped eyebrow rose as she chuckled. "If you take a picture it'll last longer, and then maybe you can get me my tea."

Clark grinned back at her. "I intend to. My camera is locked and loaded." He said, heading over to the counter to begin making her tea since she still couldn't drink coffee.

"Hey Shelby, how's it going buddy?" He said as the golden haired dog came in the back door, he was still a little groggy from last night and Clark wondered exactly how much Toby had shot him with. He was grateful that Shelby was stronger than most dogs, otherwise he would probably be dead right now.

Shelby paused to look at Clark and then made his way into the living room where he took his usual place at Lois' feet. He leaned his chin on her knee and whined softly as he carefully sniffed the baby. Clark grinned, Shelby had been protective enough when Lois was pregnant, now that there was a baby around, he was going to go nuts. But it was reassuring to know that Shelby would never let anyone hurt Phoebe. Even Clark might have a fight on his hands just to get near her.

As he poured the boiling water out, his ears caught the sound of something beautiful, almost hypnotic. He glanced over at Lois, she was humming something to their baby girl. It was just a tune, no words, but that voice was the sweetest thing he'd ever heard coming from the mouth of Lois Lane-Kent. He'd had no idea she could sound like that.

Walking into the living room, he placed her cup on the table in front of her and sat down next to her. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he placed a soft kiss on his daughter's head and then captured Lois' lips in a loving kiss. Shelby shifted himself so that he was lying on the floor in between Clark and Lois' legs, making sure that Clark kept a relatively appropriate distance though Clark kept on kissing his wife.

She sighed as she pulled back, studying him with narrowed eyes. "Are you okay?"

"I've never been happier Lois." He replied, taking Phoebe's little hand in his while his other played with the strands of silky smooth hair draping over Lois' shoulder.

"That's not what I asked Smallville."

"I'm fine Lo. You don't have to worry about me." He replied, giving her a little smile.  
"How are you doing?"

"I'm fine, and don't change the subject."

"I'm not. But Lois, we haven't even talked about what happened before Phoebe was born." He said, hating to remind her of it but she hadn't even mentioned getting kidnapped once in the past twenty-four hours.

"That's because it isn't important anymore. He's behind bars by now and I am right where I need to be. With my family. So let's drop it okay?"

"Okay, but I'm here whenever you want to talk about it." She nodded and smiled and her face told him that she was telling the truth, there was no hidden anxiety there, no stress. She really was okay.

"Besides, it's not like it hasn't happened before Smallville." She chuckled, readjusting Phoebe.

"I still don't like the link to Lex. If Helen didn't give him your blood, who did? Who else could've gotten into that safe?"

Lois let out a tired sigh. "Clark, you have to stop this. You're going to drive yourself crazy, not to mention me and your daughter here. Lex always has something going on, you can't spend every moment of your life worrying about what his next move is."

"I know that, I really do but I can't let anything happen to you two. It's my job to protect my family."

As those words left his mouth, he realised how true they were, he knew Lois liked to act tough and strong enough to fight her own battles and most of the time she was, but what she didn't realise was that in every man, the instinct to protect what was his was engrained in them, a part of their being. Clark, even being an alien, was no different. The urge to take his family somewhere they could never be found by Lex or anyone else who wanted to hurt them was almost overpowering. But he would never do that to Lois. And no doubt she would fight him all the way anyway.

"And I appreciate that Smallville, I do." Clark was a little shocked, he'd expected her to go into a rant about how old fashioned he was being or something. Maybe she knew that was one thing she shouldn't tease him about. Or maybe her batteries were simply running on empty and she had no energy to think of a good comeback.

"Okay, I think she's done. Would you mind burping her while I go change into something else? These clothes still smell of the hospital." She said, changing the subject as she started moving Phoebe over to him.

Clark smiled and held out his arms. He felt that he was starting to get the hang of holding the baby now, as he gently took her from Lois and laid her across his chest, rubbing her back softly. The tiny little whimpering noises she made captivated him, he didn't think he would ever get tired of just looking at her.

Lois paused behind the sofa and reached over to grab his face, tilting his head back so that she could kiss his forehead. "I love you." She whispered and then slowly made her way upstairs.

As soon as she was gone, Phoebe started fussing, wriggling around in Clark's arms in obvious discomfort. He stood up and began walking around the room, bobbing gently as he patted her back.

"It's okay, mommy will be back soon." He whispered, and then his eyes widened for a split second as a loud burp erupted from his daughter. He laughed for the longest time, cuddling her against him and she stared up at him with interest. "That's my girl."

He shifted her position until she was lying in his arms and with her belly full and her diaper dry, Phoebe slowly drifted off to sleep. He didn't want to let her go, he could go forever just feeling the soft weight in his arms, but he had to start getting breakfast ready for Lois, she must be starving by now.

So he gently placed Phoebe in her bassinette and tucked her blanket in around her. He was too lost in just staring at her that he didn't notice the back door open. Then, as he turned, he was pinned under the intensely angry blue eyes of his cousin.

"Kara." He said happily, making his way over to her. "When did you get back?"

Just before he reached her, her hand shot out and slapped him round the face. Too dazed to realise what was happening, Clark felt his hand come up to rub where she'd hit him. It hadn't hurt much, but it was shocking nonetheless.

"Kara, what are you doing?" Oliver asked, obviously as shocked as Clark was as he walked up behind her.

"Why didn't you call me sooner huh?" She demanded hotly, planting her hands on her hips. "Why didn't you call to tell me that Lois had been kidnapped? I could've helped you find her! Maybe she wouldn't even have been taken in the first place!"

"Kara listen…"

"No, I can't believe I was the last one to hear about the baby being born Kal-El!" _Uh oh, Kal-El_. She was really angry.

"Well, technically you aren't the last to know Kara, Lois' sister Lucy still isn't aware that there even is a baby. And besides, you two were on your honeymoon, we didn't want to interrupt that."

Kara scoffed and walked past him into the living room. She stopped as soon as she saw the baby lying asleep. Her eyes flitted back to Clark's, the anger fading as tears appeared.

"She's so small." She murmured, bending down to get a closer look. "And pink."

"Huh, small? You try pushing something that size out of your body." Lois laughed as she walked gingerly down the stairs wearing her comfortable grey sweatpants and Clark's old flannel shirt. Clark went over to help her but she waved him off with a grin and went over to Kara.

"She's so beautiful Lois."

"Thank you. Her name's Phoebe Tamarah Kent."

Kara mulled the name over for a minute, then she grinned. "I like it. I'm sorry I took so long to get here, but…" She glanced at the floor, keeping her eyes there until Lois crushed her in a big hug.

"I wanted to call you sooner, but we really didn't want to interrupt your honeymoon and I knew as soon as you heard, you'd be up in the air in a flash but, this is my daughter we're talking about, of course she was going to make her appearance at the most inconvenient time." She chuckled, her whole face lighting up as the words 'my daughter' were spoken. "I just wanted you and Ollie to have a little time alone together."

"It's okay Lois, I was just shocked when I heard that you'd been kidnapped and then had gone into labour and I felt bad for not being here sooner."

"Well don't, we're all fine and we're all incredibly happy. And tired."

"Do you want us to go? We can come back later when you've had some rest." Lois grabbed her hand and pulled her back.

"You're not going anywhere, you're going to hold your niece. She's been waiting to meet her Aunt Kara and Uncle Ollie."

"But…I'm not technically her aunt, Lois." Kara replied quietly. Something was definitely going on with her, Clark thought. She wasn't acting like a women who'd just gotten back from her honeymoon. Albeit a little earlier than planned, but still.

"So? What difference does that make? You're as close to me as a sister so for all intents and purposes, you are her aunt. Same goes for Chloe." Lois said matter-of-factly. "My little girl is going to have the best family ever. More than I ever had that's for sure."

Kara shifted a little and Clark thought she looked a little uncomfortable as Lois gently lifted a sleeping Phoebe into her arms and led her over to the sofa. He shot Oliver a questioning look as the two men stayed in the kitchen.

"If you think that was bad, you should've seen her reaction after she got your mom's call. She was livid Clark. I've never see her so angry." Oliver said, leaning back against the counter as Clark went about pouring out some coffee for them.

"Isn't that a slight over reaction?"

Oliver shrugged. "Maybe, but she's been very stressed what with the wedding and uh…something else…"

Clark narrowed his eyes at the hidden statement. "What else? Is she okay?"

"Well not really, no. She's a little freaked out right now. When she got the call last night, she wanted to get here straight away, so she tried to take off from our balcony…"

"And?" Clark urged when Oliver fell silent.

As he watched his new wife smiling down at the newest addition to the Kent clan, Oliver said. "She fell Clark."

"What do you mean 'fell'?"

"She tried to take off and just plummeted to the ground. I've never been so scared in my life." Oliver raised worried eyes to Clark's. "She can't fly Clark." He whispered.

Clark's eyebrows shot up into his hair. "Was she hurt?"

"No, she just landed with a crash and tried again. But it didn't work. She still has all her other abilities, but the flying's gone. That's why we took so long getting here, we had to take the jet."

Clark was stunned, he opened his mouth to talk but Kara interrupted. "Clark, she's perfect. Congratulations I'm so happy for you guys." Her mood now completely turned around, she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tight.

"Thanks Kara." Clark grasped her wrist when she turned to head back into the living room. "Are you okay?"

Her smile faded as she looked at Oliver over Clark's shoulder. "You told him?"

"I had to sweetie, he might be able to help you."

"Kara…"

"No Clark, leave it alone. I'm okay really, and today isn't about me. It's about that little girl in there."

Clark wanted to discuss this but the look Kara gave him said that she wasn't going to let that happen, not today anyway.

"Please Clark, just leave it alone." Clark nodded, reluctantly and the room fell silent.

Kara went back to staring at her new niece and Clark broke out into a smile as Oliver clapped him on the back. "Congratulations Clark," He offered his hand and Clark shook it happily.

"Thanks man. It was a little unexpected even though we knew it could happen this soon. But…" He glanced into the living room, watching as Lois handed their daughter over to a nervous Kara. She held her as if she were made of glass, a look of complete awe on her face. Clark knew how she felt.

"I still can't believe she's really here. And that I have a little girl. It's the most wonderful feeling."

"I'll bet it is. So what happened? Kara said something about Lois being kidnapped, man she can't even stay out of trouble when she's pregnant." Oliver chuckled.

Clark suppressed a shudder at the memory. "Well, I got back to the farm and found Shelby lying on the floor with a tranquiliser dart sticking out of his side and Lois was missing. I have never been so scared Oliver, I thought I was going to lose them both. I went to Watchtower to get Chloe's help and I got a call from Lois. She was in labour and had been taken by Toby."

"Toby, wait, the guy who got fired from the Planet?"

"Yep, he's obsessed with Lois, says he's in love with her. He even decorated a nursery in the house he took her to. Wanted to raise the baby with her." Clark said, bitterness seeping through into his tone.

"Sounds like a fruitcake."

"I don't think he's all that well, you know, up here." Clark said, pointing to his own head. "I just can't believe he took her, he drugged her Oliver, knowing that she was pregnant."

Oliver squeezed his shoulder. "Well at least they're both okay now."

"Yeah, I have Helen to thank for that." Clark frowned. "Listen Oliver, I need a favour from you."

"Name it boy scout." Oliver smiled, even after a year of being known as Superman, Oliver never let him forget where he came from and Clark was grateful for that. He didn't want people to think any differently of him, he was still the same person he'd always been before he'd put on that suit.

"Helen was shot last night, she's in a coma and the doctors don't know if she's gonna wake up. I was hoping you could get one of your experts to take a look at her."

Oliver's eyes widened as his eyebrows shot up in surprise. Crossing his arms in front of him, he tilted his head and stared at Clark. "Well you've certainly changed your tune. What happened to running her out of town?"

"She's innocent Oliver, she didn't do it."

"How do you know that?" He asked sceptically, clearly Oliver still felt the burn of Helen's betrayal.

"I don't know, but right before she was shot, we were talking and there was just something…I don't know alright. Besides, if she wasn't innocent then why did Lex try to have her killed?"

Oliver fell silent as he thought about that. "But we still don't know for sure if she's completely innocent. I mean come on Clark, I didn't want to believe it either but there were only three people who could've gotten into my safe. Helen had the combination and we were the only others that had it. Now I know that you sure as hell didn't give Lois' blood to Lex and I didn't, so that only leaves one person."

"I can't explain it Oliver, I just…I know that she didn't do it. Anyway, even if I'm wrong, she doesn't deserve to die does she?"

"No, I guess not." He relented, his face taking on some concern for the woman he'd been working with for the past two years.

"So will you help her?"

"I'll try. I'll get someone in don't worry. Now, onto more important matters," Oliver clapped his hands together and started to head into the living room. "Where's my niece at?"

* * *

Lex stormed into his study and stopped abruptly. Two uniformed men stood before him, eyeing him cautiously. He'd told his secretary to send whoever it was away, but she had neglected to tell him it was the Metropolis PD.

"Officers, how can I help you?" He asked calmly, walking around his desk to sit down. He gestured towards the chairs in front but they shook their heads, standing in an official pose. Lex sighed, he wasn't in the mood for this today.

"Mr Luthor, we're here to ask you a couple of questions if you don't mind?" The taller of the two spoke up, his narrowed brown eyes reflecting the flames from the fire in the hearth.

Lex always had a fire going lately, mostly because the crackling had become calming to him as he spent long nights in his study, reading and trying to catch up on business.

"Questions about what?"

"Last night, a doctor was shot at Metropolis hospital. Well inside the hospital actually."

"And this has something to do with me, how exactly?" Lex replied, unimpressed.

"The young woman that was shot, is your ex-wife. Helen Carter. She's now lying in a coma but we questioned the young man that was with her and he seemed to believe that you were involved. That you have both a motive and a vendetta to have this woman killed."

"And what would that motive be? I haven't even seen Helen for over seven years." Lex replied, leaning back in his chair interlinking his hands on his lap.

"Be that as it may, I have a job to do sir and I have a woman lying in a coma she might never come out of."

"Who is this witness?"

"I can't tell you that sir."

"Look Officer…" Lex squinted to see the guy's name badge. "Lewis. I appreciate that you have a job to do but I was nowhere near Metropolis last night, I've been here for two days and I have witnesses to back that up. Now I'm sorry that my ex-wife has been hurt but she means nothing to me anymore."

"You haven't seen her at all recently?"

"No, this is the first I've heard that she's even back. What happened exactly?"

"She was talking to someone last night in her office and was shot through the window, looks like the work of a sniper. We're running ballistics on the bullet and security footage as we speak. So you have no idea of anyone who would want your ex-wife dead?" Lewis asked, clearly disbelieving, but Lex couldn't care less what he thought of him.

"No sorry."

Lewis and his partner exchanged silent glances. "And you didn't know that she was working at Metropolis General?"

"I had no idea, look, where is this going? Am I under arrest or something Officer?" Lex said, getting tired of this whole thing now. He had much more important things to be doing. Not to mention the fact that he was getting a killer headache again.

"No sir, not yet." The second guy spoke up, and Lex could feel the animosity between them, thickening the air. "But it seems awfully coincidental that your ex-wife was on duty when a young woman was brought into the hospital in labour. A woman who had been kidnapped and held against her will,"

Lex hid his surprise well. "What does that have to do with me?"

"The man who kidnapped her was a little…worked up, shall we say. But in his ramblings, one name stood out. Yours. He didn't say anything about you other than your name." The two officers eyed him shrewdly. "Any idea why that would be sir?"

Lex bit back a sigh and threw them an innocent look. "I have been here for the past two days, I've only had contact with some employees and contractors, that's it. You're more than welcome to check my phone records if you like."

"No, that won't be necessary right now Mr Luthor." Lex had to bite his lip to keep from smiling, they had nothing on him and they knew it. This was nothing more than scare tactics. Well, they weren't going to work on him.

"Well in that case I have nothing more to say, I've told you everything I know." He stood up and walked over to the large double doors, opening one.

"Thank you for your time Mr Luthor, we'll be in touch."

Lex closed the door behind them and sank down onto his couch. He rubbed his tired eyes and leaned his head back. So Lois had given birth already? Interesting. Maybe it was time to send baby Kent a little gift. He had no doubt that the witness the police spoke of had been Clark. It had to be, who else would've been talking to Helen, and Lois had been admitted to the hospital.

Lex snorted, he never would've thought Clark would allow Lois to be admitted to a regular hospital, not with the precious cargo she was carrying. But then again, they'd obviously had Helen deliver the baby.

But in a new development, the police were getting too close to him now, he had to do something to throw them off the trail, and he would have to start laying low for a little while. But, he grinned, he had plenty of time and the longer he took, the better.

Expectations and guards often dropped eventually if nothing happened. It was all a matter of finding the perfect moment.

**_To Be Continued..._**


	34. Chapter 33

_**Chapter Thirty Three**_

"Aren't you ready yet Lois?" Chloe said frustrated as she walked into Clark and Lois' bedroom. She had been waiting downstairs for the last twenty minutes.

"Sorry Chlo, but a certain little girl here decided it would be fun to go poopies and not only hit her diaper, but everything else she was wearing too." Lois replied, not even glancing at Chloe as she kept her eyes on her wriggling daughter who was now spread out in the centre of the bed, wearing her second set of clothes and it was still early in the day.

"And where is your daddy when I need him huh?" She said to Phoebe, chuckling as she picked her up. "I mean sure, saving people is important but so is this." She looked over at Chloe. "You have no idea how hard these diapers are, they may look easy but they can fool ya."

Chloe's eyebrows rose as a grin appeared.

"What?" Lois asked.

"Did you just say poopies?" She snorted, barely keeping the laughter in.

Lois rolled her eyes and stood up. "That's what motherhood'll do for you I guess. Pretty soon I'll be speaking a whole new language that nobody understands."

"Can't wait for that." Chloe laughed. "You look good Lo, is that a new outfit?" She said, tilting her head. Lois shrugged and pulled her burgundy sweatshirt down a little. Paired with dark blue skinny jeans and calf length black boots, Lois felt sexy for the first time in months.

"Thanks, I'm still in shock over that. I just can't believe it." Making their way downstairs, Lois adjusted Phoebe so that she was lying on her chest with her head on her shoulder. Cradling her head, Lois walked into the living room with Chloe following close behind.

"You know something Lo? You really do make a good mom."

"I've only been one for three days Chloe." Lois reminded her, but they had been the most fulfilled and happy three days of her life so far. She just could not get enough of her baby girl.

"Yeah but still, can't you see it? The way you are with her, it's amazing. The way you interact with her and just…I'm just so proud of you Lo. And Clark? Well, he's just…it melts my heart every time I see him with her. He adores her."

"He certainly does, and you know what? Whenever I have to get up during the night to feed her, which is a lot, he gets up and sits with us. He runs me these gorgeous bubble baths and takes care of her while I soak. He's just…amazing."

"Well Clark has always been like that with you Lo, he genuinely likes taking care of you. I think sometimes he wishes that you'd be a little less stubborn and just accept it. That's just how he his,"

"I know, but you know me Chloe, I don't take that kind of thing well. I like to be able to do things on my own. That's not to say that I don't love what he does for me because I do. And he spoils her rotten I might add. But that's okay, I like seeing him so happy, it's like she's his whole world and I can understand that feeling." Lois murmured, staring at Phoebe whose bright blue eyes were now beginning to droop.

"Well you're half right." Lois' eyes flicked to Chloe's, a questioning brow raised. "Both you and Phoebe are Clark's whole world Lois. He loves you two so much it actually nearly makes me cry."

Lois gave her a wobbly smile. "Sap." She said, covering how she was really feeling.

She wasn't sure if she was still hormonal, or just in complete bliss, but every time someone said something like that, she teared up and that was not Lois Lane-Kent. She barely cried, if at all, so to be doing it practically on a daily basis was slightly unnerving her. Then again, she'd never been a mother before, so she had no basis for comparison.

"So where are we going anyway?" Lois asked, trying to hide her sniffle as she set Phoebe down in her car seat and began getting her diaper bag ready.

"I'm sworn to secrecy."

Lois wheeled around. "Did Smallville put you up to this? Chloe, you know I hate surprises."

"You'll love this one. Trust me. Now come on, we really have to go."

"Okay, okay, I'm done. Jeez, what's the big hurry? Are we heading out of Smallville?"

As Chloe stared at her, Lois shrugged. "I just need to know how much to pack, if we're staying in Smallville it won't need to be that much but if we're not…"

"Nice try Lois, you know that Clark can be back here in a heartbeat to get anything you need. Now I realise that suppressing that reporter's instinct is hard for you but you're just gonna have to manage. Come on, we're gonna be late." She said for the final time, grabbing the bag as Lois shook her head, then took Phoebe out to the car and buckled her seat in.

"Late for what?" Lois huffed.

When they were all settled, Chloe grinned across at her. "You'll see."

* * *

"The Talon?" She had to admit she was surprised. After the big song and dance Chloe made about being late, she'd assumed that she was going somewhere a little more…well, not the Talon anyway.

"Yup, come on." Chloe chuckled and got out of the car, then made her way to the back to get Phoebe out.

As they walked inside, Lois wondered why it was so quiet, it was a business day so the place should be hopping. But there wasn't a single sound in there, which peaked her interest.

"SURPRISE!" Everyone yelled as they stepped in from the foyer.

Lois jumped and did a double take as Phoebe woke up and started fussing, clearly displeased at having her nap cut short. Glancing at Chloe, Lois asked. "What's the surprise for?"

"Well, I was going to throw you a baby shower but little missy here decided to put in an early appearance. But we all decided that we should still throw one, kind of a post baby celebration instead of a pre one."

Lois looked back to her guests, speechless. Everyone she knew and loved was here, the place was delicately decorated, though thankfully not all in pink, and she felt tears stinging her eyes as she saw her beaming husband step to the front. He leaned his head down and kissed her lovingly and she narrowed her eyes at him when he pulled back.

"Bank robbery?"

He shrugged sheepishly. "Kitten stuck in a tree."

She smacked his shoulder. "You sneak."

"But you love me anyway." He murmured, as he bent down to take his daughter out of her car seat.

She was wrapped up warm for the winter weather in a red hooded fleece suit that you could only just see her little face poking out of. The instant she was in Clark's arms, she became quiet, her little eyes staring up at his face as he made gentle soothing noises to her.

"Lucky for you huh?" She grinned and walked over to Martha.

Clark began taking Phoebe's fleece off so that she wouldn't get too hot and watched as his wife milled around, greeting her guests. She needed this. She'd been cooped up in the house since they'd first brought Phoebe home and he wanted her to enjoy herself.

He grinned to himself, she was going to go nuts over her surprise soon. She looked amazing, her body now back to the shape it used to be. He chuckled, remembering the previous day.

_"Clark!" Lois' voice yelled. Clark quickly handed Phoebe to his mother and raced upstairs._

"What? What's wrong?"

He found Lois standing in front of the mirror wearing only her bra and jeans, looking astounded. She turned around, eyes wide as saucers.

"Look!" She pointed to her midriff.

"I don't see…"

"Clark, look at me! I'm back to the way I was before I even got pregnant."

Clark studied her body, noting that everything apart from her breasts, was exactly as it had been a year ago. Even her abs were back in perfect shape. He shook his head thoughtfully.

"How is this possible? I gave birth two days ago Smallville."

"Well…" Clark didn't know what to say, he was too lost in just staring at her. No matter how many times he saw her, he never quite got over the effect she had on him. He cleared his throat and forced his eyes back up to hers.

"Maybe it's because you were carrying a half Kryptonian baby Lois. We do heal pretty well you know."

She blew out a breath and turned back to the mirror. "I guess, but still…two days!"

"I would've thought you'd be happy about this." He questioned, stepping up behind her and linking his arms around her now slender waist.

"The thing is, I had a fully grown baby two months earlier than most women, and now I don't look as if I even carried one, let alone gave birth to one. I mean I don't even have a single stretch mark. People are gonna talk."

He kissed her temple and pulled her back against his chest. "So? Since when did Lois Lane-Kent care about what other people thought?"

She sighed, leaning into his massive chest. "I just…I don't know. It's just a little unexpected that's all. If it weren't for the fact that we have a little girl downstairs, I would be seriously questioning my sanity right now. Oh well at least your wife is back in shape."

Clark frowned and turned her around and cupped the side of her face. "Lois, you've always been beautiful to me." He kissed her, long and slowly and when he pulled back, her eyes were glazed over, a smile pulling at her lips.

"And you always will be."  


Back in the room, Clark looked around with a smile. Everyone who was important to Lois was here. Jimmy and Chloe, Martha, Oliver and Kara and Perry and his wife were also in attendance. Clark took a moment to study his cousin.

Though Kara was smiling, it was a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes and he got the feeling that she wasn't as happy as she made out. He'd have to talk to her later, find out what was going on with her. She still couldn't fly and it was really beginning to bother her.

And if he was honest, he was a little worried himself. He wondered if she'd been exposed to something that could've made her lose that ability. But he had no idea what it could be so he knew a visit to Jor-El was on the cards.

He got up and walked over to his wife, linking an arm around her waist as he held Phoebe in the other.

"Wait right there, don't move!" Chloe yelled, grabbing Jimmy's camera and snapping a couple of shots of the happy family. "Perfect." She grinned, satisfied with her work.

"Gee thanks Chlo…now I have that glare in my eye." Lois mumbled, but with a smile. Clark squeezed her shoulder and gently swayed his body to keep Phoebe calm.

Chloe caught his eye and raised her eyebrows, a silent question asked. He nodded and turned to Martha. "Mom, could you take Phoebe for a minute?"

"Of course sweetie." Clark gently handed her over, stopping briefly to kiss her little head and then grabbed Lois' hand and led her to the back of the Talon next to the counter.

"Smallville, what's going on?" She asked and he could tell that she was growing suspicious, she just knew him too well.

"I have a surprise for you Lo,"

Lois chuckled as she shook her head, "I don't think anything could make this day any better, well, except maybe…" But then her eyes shifted to the doors behind the counter and her grin just got wider.

"Daddy?" She shrieked and ran over to him, hugging him fiercely. Then the General did something that Clark had only ever seen him do once before. He laughed and swung his daughter around in his arms. He'd done that at their wedding too.

"How's my little Lo? You look fantastic."

"I can't believe you're here, I thought you couldn't get here until after Christmas?"

"I wanted to meet my new granddaughter and see my special girl. And after Clark called insisting that it had to be today that we showed up, how could I refuse my son-in-law." Clark watched as Lois blinked rapidly and he knew she was trying not to cry. But he couldn't blame her, she'd waited practically her whole life for her father to say those kinds of things to her.

"You did that Smallville?" She asked, now turning to him.

"Well, I didn't want him to miss out. Or you." She grabbed his face and, ignoring the aww's coming from the crowd, kissed him.

"Oh and Lois, one more thing." The General said, pointing towards the door. This time, Lois' smile faded as her mouth fell open.

"Oh my God…Lucy!"

**_To Be Continued..._**


	35. Chapter 34

**_Chapter Thirty Four_**

"I can't believe you're a mom." Lucy said in awe, staring down at her niece as she cradled her in her arms. Lois and Clark were sitting across the table from her and Chloe and Jimmy were sat either side of her. Martha and Sam were over by the counter grabbing some of the food that had just been put out and everyone else was busy talking amongst themselves.

Lois was still having trouble recovering, first from seeing her father and then Lucy turn up, but then when her father had held Phoebe, the pride and adoration in his eyes had been astounding. She had never seen him like that, not since before her mother died. But as he'd held his granddaughter in one arm, whilst wrapping the other around her shoulders and dragging her closer for a hug, it made her heart melt and she realised that she had lived most of her life waiting for the day when her father would be this open around her again. She had missed that the most.

So far, Phoebe seemed to adore him too, her little eyes searching his face and she had laid quietly in his arms for almost an hour, just watching him as if she were fascinated. Which of course, pleased the General greatly, and he had been reluctant to even hand her back to Lois when she'd needed to feed her.

"I still can't believe you haven't called me since my wedding day." Lois grumbled.

Lucy stuck her tongue out at her and grinned. "Well, I've been busy Lois."

"Too busy to give your one and only sister a call?" She smirked.

"You know how it is, I've just been trying to sort some things out. But I am sorry that I wasn't around. I know I should've called more. I can't believe I missed out on my sister being pregnant. That must've been a sight, Lois with a big round…"

"You're here now Lucy, that's all that counts." Clark interrupted, nudging her on the leg subtly and Lois knew he was just trying to prevent any disruption to the afternoon.

He was right in a way, Lois was still a little annoyed at her sister, but she wouldn't let it ruin what Chloe and Clark had done for her here today. Lois still couldn't get over how much effort they had put in to this whole thing. She also couldn't believe how many presents she'd gotten and not all of them were for the baby.

She had received sets of bath salts, scented candles and incense burners, all stuff designed to help her relax and de-stress. Clark had even given her a ticket he'd made himself that stated she was owed a full body massage at a time of her choosing and her skin practically tingled in anticipation of that. That man had magical hands.

"I guess. I was so shocked when daddy called, he said, and I quote: 'Lucy, you're to be at the airport…" She put on her best impersonation of the General. "At oh-eight hundred hours and if you're not, I'm coming after you'. Man my jaw almost hit the floor when he told me that we were coming here because you'd just had a baby. You certainly didn't waste any time did you Clark?" She grinned, making Clark blush. Lois rolled her eyes, trust her sister to make a comment like that.

"It was kind of a surprise for me too Lucy." He replied quietly and Lois squeezed his hand, knowing exactly what he was thinking. There was a part of him that still couldn't believe that Phoebe was real. That maybe he was dreaming because he was always destined to be alone on this planet. Well, she had proved him wrong hadn't she?

"Can't have been much of one though, I mean you were there when she was conceived right? Or were you?" Lucy giggled, bouncing Phoebe lightly in her arms.

"So not funny Luce." Lois warned.

"I'm kidding. You know I'm only kidding right Clark?" Her face sobered when Phoebe's eyes grew wide and then her face started going a little red. "She really is the most precious thing I've seen though you guys. Oh just look at this hair, and these eyes, her eyelashes are so long and dark I doubt she'll ever need to wear mascara. My little niece is gonna grow up to be a super model. Well done."

"Thanks sis." Lois replied, leaning against Clark. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer, kissing her on the temple before taking a sip of his drink.

"Though how on earth are you back to that size Lois? You had her what, three days ago?" Lois felt her anger flare up a little, her sister was exactly the same as she'd always been, always making jokes, could never be serious for a moment. No wonder she was always getting into trouble.

"It's all carefully hidden Luce, but thanks for bringing it up." She deadpanned whilst fussing with her baggy sweater. That had been the main reason she had chosen to wear it, she didn't want people questioning her and she had to admit that she felt a little more secure with it on.

Which was funny when she thought about it. If she wasn't back to her regular size and she was still carrying baby weight, she probably would've been just as self conscious but seeing as this was not exactly a normal thing to happen to her, the more attention she received, the worse it made her feel.

She felt like she was cheating in a way, that she should be going through what other new mothers had to go through. But with her husband being who he was, there was no getting around the circumstances and she supposed that she shouldn't really be complaining.

"No problem sis, it's what I'm here for. But seriously, you do look great and I am happy for you. Both of you."

Lois giggled as she saw Lucy's nose wrinkle up, obviously smelling something untoward.

"Uh guys…"

"I'll get it." Clark said, laughing as he stood up to take Phoebe from Lucy. "You two girls catch up. I'll be right back,"

"We're just gonna go and grab some food Lo, you want anything bringing over?" Chloe said, almost dragging Jimmy out of his seat.

"Uh no thanks, I'm good."

"We are? Oh…yeah, I'm hungry, I forgot." Chloe rolled her eyes at his not so subtle attempt and dragged him away, leaving Lucy alone with Lois. She studied her younger sister for a few minutes, noticing the differences in her appearance and wondering why she hadn't heard from her in over a year.

"He's really great with her isn't he?" Lucy said, watching Clark walk over to the bag they'd brought, take out a fresh diaper and head into the back.

"Yeah, he is. Well now he is anyway, not so much at first. You have no idea how funny it was watching him trying to change a diaper. But he's got it down now," She laughed, but then her smile faded. "So where were you Luce? And don't tell me you were in some prison." She asked, running the tip of her finger around the rim of her coffee mug.

"Your faith in me is astounding Lo…" Her sister replied dryly, flicking her shoulder length brown hair over her shoulder. "No as a matter of fact, I have been very busy. I got a job playing with a great orchestra in Italy and I'm living there now."

Lois was genuinely impressed. "That's great, about time you settled down somewhere. But why did it have to be Italy?"

"Well, I uh…I met someone. He's really great Lois, you'd love him."

"So why didn't you bring him with you to meet me? Scared he won't make the cut?" Lois joked.

"Yeah cos I really need your approval to be dating a guy." Lucy said sarcastically. "No he's busy, he couldn't come over right now. But I would like you to meet him eventually. His name's Kurt and he plays with the same orchestra that I do now. Actually, that's how I got the job, I met him, we started dating and he introduced me to a few people and there you have it. See? I'm not a total screw up Lo, I can actually take care of myself. All that bad stuff, that's in the past now and I'm looking to my future."

Lois reached over and laid her hand over Lucy's, squeezing it gently. "I'm glad you're all sorted Luce. But please don't be a stranger anymore huh? I miss you."

"I promise I will keep in touch more. Besides, you'll have to write something to me when you send me all those pictures of my niece."

Lois laughed. "Yeah, there is that."

* * *

"Oliver, will you stop that?" Kara moaned as she raised her donut to her lips.

"Stop what?" He asked, briefly breaking eye contact with her but then, as if drawn, his eyes returned to hers. They were sitting in the corner of the Talon in one of the booths that offered a little privacy.

"You're staring at me."

"So? Can I help it if I think my wife's beautiful?" He grinned, that charming grin that she'd first fallen in love with.

"And that would be fine, if that's what this was about. But it isn't. You keep staring at me like you expect me to vanish at any second. What's up?"

He let out a quiet sigh and surveyed their surroundings, watching as Lois and Clark's guests mingled with each other, the atmosphere light and loving. "I'm worried about you Kara. I'm sorry, I can't help it."

She smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder. "I love that you worry about me, but you don't have to. I feel fine. There's nothing at all to worry about. I'm sure this is just a temporary glitch or something. Maybe like solar flares from the sun, that could affect my powers."

"Except then why isn't it affecting Clark too? Something like that would affect the both of you."

"Smart ass." She grumbled. Okay so that excuse was out. What else…?

"Well, okay so I don't have an explanation right now. But it can't be serious or I would've lost my other powers by now." She frowned, was she trying to convince him, or herself? She wasn't sure.

She had to admit that it was getting beyond freaky that she still couldn't fly. It was very strange being grounded and now she knew how Clark had felt when she'd first arrived in Smallville and shown that she could fly but he couldn't.

"I still think you need to get checked out."

"By who? Helen's still in a coma and it's not as if she knows anything about my species anyway."

"She knows enough, she's studied Clark's blood for years."

"Yeah, let's not go there." Kara waved her hand and picked up her soda. "Regardless of which, she can't help us if she's not conscious. Stop worrying, I promise you I'm okay."

"Hey guys," Kara looked up to see her cousin standing in front of her, baby in his arms and sappy grin on his face. She could still feel Oliver's eyes watching her, but at the moment, she was too happy to worry too much about it. The first thing she did was reach her arms out and Clark deposited her niece into her arms before sitting down opposite them.

"And how is my favourite baby girl?" She cooed, nuzzling her nose against Phoebe's.

"Changed, fed and clean, though probably not for long." Clark replied with a grin so wide she was surprised his face didn't split. But he'd been wearing it since he'd brought Lois and Phoebe home. Not even having to go out and stop crime and rescue people could put a dampener on his happiness. In fact, it seemed to strengthen his resolve to help this planet even more. Every day he went out there with a purpose and every day, he came home to his family. Perfect.

"Oh wow!" She exclaimed, her eyes widening.

"What?" He asked, leaning forward. "Did she spit up?"

"She smiled at me." Kara replied, her voice cracking slightly. She ran a fingertip down the side of Phoebe's face and was amazed at the warm fuzzy feeling just one simple smile could evoke.

Clark frowned. "Uh Kara, I hate to be the one to tell you this but newborn babies can't smile. It was probably just gas."

"Why do you have to be such a buzz-kill?" She retorted. "And besides, she's _special_, if she wants to smile, she can smile."

Clark and Oliver both chuckled. "Okay, if you say so."

"I do." She replied, but she moved Phoebe to lean against her chest as she started patting and rubbing her back, just in case Clark was right. "So where's your wife?"

"Over there talking to Lucy." Clark pointed behind him.

"She looks great, how's she doing?" Oliver asked as Clark turned back to them.

"She's good. A little tired because Phoebe is needing to be fed constantly. I sit with them during the night but there's not much else I can do. She's one hungry baby."

Kara laughed. "From what I remember from Aunt Lara, you were the same. She could never quite get you filled, you were always screaming for more." As Clark's smile faded a little, Kara cursed herself for bringing up that subject. She knew it still pained him to know that he would never know his real mother, but then he smiled, a glowing smile that lit up his whole face.

"It's nice to know I passed something down to her then."

"Well that and your eyes." Kara chuckled. "They are just beautiful aren't they sweetie?" She murmured in Phoebe's ear as she continued rubbing her back.

"Thanks." Clark winked. Kara smirked at him and then frowned, a sudden strange feeling coming over her. The back of her head started to tingle, and her eyes became a little blurry.

"Clark take her, quick!" As Kara lurched forward, Clark caught Phoebe in his arms and positioned her close to his chest as Oliver caught Kara to stop her from toppling off her chair.

"What's wrong?" He asked, holding her arm as she swayed in her seat. Oliver was holding her upright as she leaned on the table and put her head in her hands.

"I don't know. This is…strange, I've never felt this before. What is it?" She asked, confused and a little scared because now the whole room was spinning. This was unfamiliar to her. The only time she'd felt ill was when she'd been close to the green meteor rocks. But this wasn't like that.

"What does it feel like, describe it to me Kara." Clark said softly, moving a little closer to her.

"It's like…my head feels weird, and the room is moving."

"Like you're dizzy?"

"Yeah, maybe. Oh wow, that's so strange. Make it stop." She said, pressing the heels of her palms against her eyes.

"Clark," Oliver's worried voice came out on a breath and she just knew what his eyes were asking as his voice trailed off.

"Hang on, I'll be right back."

"Kara, honey you're scaring me. What's going on? Talk to me." Oliver said and she hated the tone of his voice, he was seriously worried and she wasn't feeling much better herself.

"I don't know Ollie, I really don't."

A minute later, Clark reappeared with Lois at his side who was now holding Phoebe. The baby started fussing in her mother's arms, wriggling and crying softly and Kara wondered if she was picking up on the worried vibes of the people around her. She didn't want that, this was supposed to be a happy day and she was ruining it.

"Kara, are you okay?" Lois asked, sitting down next to her and wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Yeah, I think so. It's fading a little now. But it felt so strange." She took the risk and removed her hands from her eyes, looking around a little, she was relieved to see that the room and everyone in it was now standing still. "It's stopped."

"Okay come on, let's go." Clark said, holding his hand out for her to take. She frowned up at him.

"Go where?"

"Jor-El. I think it's time we got some answers." His expression told her he wasn't going to take no for an answer and with Lois and Oliver watching on with similar faces, she had no choice but to get up and go with him.

Oliver came around the other side of the table and grasped her shoulders. Looking deep into her eyes, he swallowed hard. "You come straight back to me okay?"

She reached out and cupped his cheek, leaning in to kiss him. "Don't worry Ollie, you can't get rid of me. Till death do us part remember?"

He kissed her for a few silent moments and then glanced at Clark who was saying a quick goodbye to his wife and daughter.

Oliver watched them walk out of the Talon, telling his mother that they were going to run a quick errand so that she could come up with something to tell people, and then they were gone.

"She'll be okay Ollie, Clark will take good care of her." Lois told him, standing up.

"Isn't that supposed to be my job now?" He asked in a quiet voice, hating that he hadn't been able to go with her.

She tilted her head and smiled sympathetically. "Well, that's the price we pay for who we married, sometimes there are things out of our control and we can't do anything about it. Us humans just have to wait on the sidelines until we hear something. It sucks, believe me I know it sucks, but that's the way our lives are. Would we have the two of them any other way?"

He glanced over at her and put one of his arms around her shoulders. "No, I guess not Lois."

* * *

"Jor-El!" Clark yelled as he and Kara walked into the giant ice palace that was known as his Fortress of Solitude. The last time he'd been here was when Lois had been having tests performed on her so that his father could determine the health of the baby. He knew that he would have to bring Lois and Phoebe here soon, within the next couple of days so that he could run some tests to make sure that Phoebe really was okay. The knowledge reassured him somewhat, because even though Helen had run every possible test she could think of, her methods were no match for Kryptonian technology.

"Kal-El my son. Why have you come?" His father's artificial voice boomed through the icy structure.

"We need your help. Kara's not well."

"What is wrong with her?"

"I'm right here." She said, stepping forward towards the crystal console in the centre. Clark stood by her side, ready to catch her if she felt dizzy again.

"Kara." Jor-El welcomed her. "What is it that troubles you?"

Kara stayed silent for a few minutes and Clark got the impression that she was finding it difficult to find the right words.

"She's lost her ability to fly Jor-El." Kara looked over at him and he couldn't make out whether her expression was one of gratitude for him stepping in, or annoyance for him taking over.

"When did this occur?"

"About four days ago. Also, she's getting sick…can you help her?"

"Kara, do your other powers remain intact?"

When she hesitated, Clark frowned. "Kara?"

"No." She replied. "I lost my strength."

Clark's eyebrows shot up. "When?"

"Yesterday."

"Why didn't you tell anyone?"

She shrugged sheepishly. "I didn't want you to worry."

Jor-El cut off Clark's response. "Kal-El, are your powers affected?"

"No, I'm fine."

"Kara, you must lie down on the console to your right. I shall perform the necessary tests to ascertain the cause of your problem." Clark watched as Kara did as she was told, Jor-El's voice had a surprisingly gentle quality to it.

"Clark?" He went over to Kara and knelt down beside her. "I'm scared."

He reached out and smoothed her hair back from her forehead. "You'll be okay Kara, I'm here and I'm not going anywhere."

"Good. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ruin the party." As a bright lavender coloured light filled the space between them and flowed all around Kara, she gripped his hand tightly, but it lacked the strength that she usually had.

"Stop that, your health is more important than a party Kara and Lois understands. She's just as worried about you as we all are."

An hour later, the light slowly started dissipating, eventually disappearing altogether.

"You okay?" Clark asked, helping her sit up.

"Yeah, I feel fine now. Everything feels okay." She smiled and she looked a little better than she had earlier. Since Kryptonians never got sick on this planet, it had been unnerving to see her looking so pale and Clark knew from experience that it couldn't be anything good. Had she been poisoned somehow? Or maybe exposed to something?

"Jor-El." Clark called. "Did you find out what was wrong?"

"There is nothing wrong with her my son. The tests I performed were all negative, except for one."

Kara frowned at Clark. "What is it?"

"Kara…" His voice trailed off and Clark had to remind himself to stay patient. But it seemed his father still preferred to leave his sentences unfinished.

"I fear the loss of your powers is irreversible, temporarily." Jor-El replied. "Though I do not know why they are fading."

"What do you mean? Am I going to lose the rest of them?" She raised her eyes to Clark's and he had to grip her hand tightly to keep her from shaking.

"I do not know."

She blew out a breath and stood up, marching up to the control panel though she knew it would do no good. "Jor-El, please, I can't handle the cryptic answers today. Just tell me."

There was silence for a few moments, the only sound coming from the wind howling through the Fortress.

Then, eventually, he spoke. "Kara, my niece, you are with child…"

**_To Be Continued..._**


	36. Chapter 35

_**Chapter Thirty Five**_

"I can't believe this. What am I going to do?" Kara asked as Clark flew them both home. They were the first words she'd spoken since they'd left the fortress.

He landed on Oliver's balcony and let her down. She made no attempt to go inside, instead she stood next to the wall and gazed out over the city, wrapping her arms around herself. She didn't look at him, she just stood there in silence, her eyes focused on nothing in particular.

"What do you mean?" He asked, standing near the doors to allow her the space she needed. This was as much of a shock to him as it no doubt was to her. When Jor-El had told her that she was pregnant, Clark had barely been able to believe it.

He knew that it was possible obviously, because Phoebe wouldn't be in his life if it weren't. But there was a small part of him that had wondered if Kara would even be able to conceive a human's child since her body was so strong. Evidently, she was.

When she offered no reply, Clark took one step closer. "Kara, what are you thinking?"

He was worried about her. Not only was she now having to face the fact that she was carrying a child, she also had to deal with the loss of her powers, and she may or may not lose them all. Jor-El simply didn't know how this was going to work. He hadn't been able to give them any answers at all except to say that he would continue to monitor her closely.

"I want this baby." She said abruptly, both hands going to her flat stomach. Her eyes widened for a second, as if the revelation was a surprise to her.

"That's good…"

"But I don't know how to feel about it Clark." She turned to him then, and the look of fear in her eyes had him moving closer, wrapping her up in a big brotherly hug.

"Are you happy?"

He felt her nod her head as she tucked it into his broad chest. "But I'm so scared."

"I know, right now it's scary and you don't know what's gonna happen. I was the same."

"How did you get through it?"

He frowned, remembering the way he'd acted when he'd found out Lois was pregnant. "I didn't handle it well when I first found out. In my fear of not knowing what could happen to Lois, I inadvertently pushed her away and she was left having to go through it on her own. I didn't mean to, but I didn't know how to deal with it all. I never even thought having a child was possible so that was a shock but then having to face it, really face the possibility of losing Lois…" He shook his head.

"I couldn't handle that, so I went with her to all the appointments, went through the motions without really letting it in. Trying not to get too attached because I figured it would hurt less if something ever happened to the baby. And I hurt her by doing that,"

He tightened his hold on his cousin, his red cape wrapping around them in a protective blanket. "But you know what? As soon as I saw that sonogram and heard my baby's heart beating with my own ears…there's nothing like that feeling Kara. And when she was born, I'm not ashamed to admit that I cried."

He smiled to himself as he leaned his chin on top of her head. "She was only born three days ago yet I can't remember what my life was like before her. She's the most precious thing in my world and I would do anything for her. You'll see, in time, you'll see what it's really like. And you'll know…as soon as you see your baby, it'll just come to you and the love you'll feel, well…let's just say it has a way of really hitting you."

"That does sound nice." She muttered, burrowing deeper into his chest and he felt a shudder go through her. "But what if I don't feel the kind of love you're talking about?"

"Kara, you love Oliver right?" She nodded. "And I've seen how you are with Phoebe, you love that little girl with your whole heart."

"I do."

"But you have an advantage here Kara, you have what Lois and I didn't."

"And what's that?"

"The knowledge that Phoebe is here and she's happy and healthy. That a half human-half Kryptonian baby can be born safe and sound. So it doesn't have to be scary."

"Its not that I'm scared of." She murmured, stepping away from him. "I'm scared of me."

"Why?" As Kara returned to her pose of wrapping her arms around herself, Clark wondered what was going through the young woman's mind.

"I thought I had done so well living here, becoming accustomed to everything that comes naturally to you because you were raised here."

"You have, I'm proud of the way you've turned out…"

Kara carried on as if he hadn't even spoken. "I had learned the hard way about some human emotions, and felt things that I never thought could be so good, and its almost like second nature now. But this, this is different. How do I even go about being a mother to someone, let alone a human baby?"

Clark let out a soft chuckle. "You and Lois are so alike it's actually kinda scary. She said the same thing when she found out she was pregnant. She didn't know how she was going to do it either, and just look at her now."

Kara nodded. "I guess it helps that Lois has been through it, at least I'll have someone to talk to when my body starts changing." One side of her mouth tilted up. "She is an amazing mom."

"Yeah she is. And you'll be the same. I don't know much about being a mother obviously but I do know what it's like to be scared about becoming a parent. But it's not something that can be taught, you have to find your own way of doing it and I'd be lying if I said that I'm not scared even now."

"But I'm losing my powers Clark, what if I lose them all? How will I be able to protect myself and my baby?"

"Do you honestly think Oliver would let anything happen to you? Or me for that matter?"

"No, but Lois had increased strength when she was pregnant, you didn't have to worry about her so much.

"Doesn't mean I didn't. And look at what happened, she was still kidnapped, and besides, the strength was really only a way of making sure that her body was strong enough to give birth." He replied, his brow furrowing at the dark memory of Lois being taken. He didn't allow himself to think of it too much, but when he did, he still felt the anger flare up at Toby for what he'd done.

The fact that he'd been bailed out of jail by someone he knew had to be Lex was even further cause for concern. And in true Lex Luthor style, Toby was now missing, the police unable to track him down. Which in turn, had resulted in Clark never leaving Lois alone for too long. He didn't care if she felt cramped by him, he was taking no chances with her or his daughter.

Kara frowned in thought. "Does she still have the strength?"

"Yeah but it's fading. Though our race's ways may still be affecting her. She pretty much went back to being her regular size in three days after giving birth."

"Yeah I noticed that." Kara nodded. "So you really think I can do this? It's such a big thing…and I don't know, I mean I'm just not sure if…"

Poor Kara, she looked so nervous, like a deer caught in the headlights of a rather large vehicle and he knew there was nothing he could say or do to make this any easier on her.

He grasped her shoulders and smiled. "Kara, give yourself a break here, you've only really just found out. You need some time to come to terms with the fact that your life is gonna change. Once you've done that, you can focus on everything else. But no I don't think you can do this…" He smiled when her mouth fell open. "I _know_ you can. And you're not alone, you have your husband."

"That's true, I do have Ollie. But will you help me? You and Lois are the only ones who can really understand what this is like."

"Well not completely since I'm not a woman." He chuckled and was pleased when she did the same. "But yes, of course I'll help you. I'm always here for you Kara, you're more like a sister to me than a cousin. But right now, I really think you should call your husband home and tell him he's gonna be a dad."

"Oliver." She whispered, closing her eyes. "I bet he's freaking out right now."

"All the more reason to call him."

As she took her phone out of her pocket and glanced at the time, she gasped. "I'm so sorry Clark, I've made you miss Lois' party."

"Hey, don't worry about that. Lois won't mind and neither do I. There'll be plenty more parties in the future. And just think, soon Phoebe will have a little cousin of her own."

Kara openly grinned at that idea. "Okay, I'm sold."

"Good," He chuckled. "Now call."

As she dialled Oliver's number, Kara looked over at him and smiled, a warmth flooding her gaze. "Thanks Clark,"

He stepped over to her, kissed her on top of her head and then took off into he skies, allowing her some alone time to think before Oliver came home. Boy was he in for a shock.

* * *

Lex stood outside taking in the fresh cool air from the breeze that surrounded him. He'd rarely ever taken the time to appreciate the beauty of his gardens at the mansion when he'd lived there before but lately, even though the cold winter weather should've deterred him, he found himself taking long walks, with only his thoughts for company.

He sighed as he glanced up at the greying sky. Rain was on the way again. The mansion was quiet, dead quiet. He only had a few staff around him now and his own personal physician was live-in but he only saw her on appointments. He was getting much better.

His body was now back to full strength, a feeling he had missed greatly. His scars would always be with him, but he didn't mind. He'd grown accustomed to the lines on his face, they were a constant reminder of the showdown he'd had with Clark a lifetime ago.

"Mr Luthor?" A voice said behind him, clearing his throat nervously as if he knew better than to interrupt Lex when he was here.

"Yes?" Lex answered, without turning around. He kept his face turned up towards the sky, his eyes scanning the vast clouds as they drifted by.

"Everything is set Mr Luthor, your jet is ready and waiting for you."

He turned to face his assistant, a tall, red headed man with a lot of potential. Lex had hired him as a bodyguard originally and while that was still his main title, he also doubled as a personal assistant too.

"Are my bags packed?"

"Yes sir, I took care of it myself."

"Good," Lex turned back to his garden, thinking that it would be some time before he saw it again. Strange, now that he was leaving, he would actually come to miss this the most.

His business was now thriving once again, though the shares that Oliver Queen still owned were unattainable. He'd tried every legal way he could think of to get them back, and when that hadn't worked he'd tried a few illegal ones. But those hadn't worked either, Oliver was a smart man and he knew what to be on the lookout for.

So Lex was stuck sharing a business that his father had built, a business that he himself had spent a great deal of his life developing too, with a man he hated deeply. He would get it back, but not today. Sometime in the future, he would have what was his.

"And Toby?"

"He's all set up where you asked sir."

Toby was a liability and a nutcase for sure, but Lex couldn't afford to get rid of him just yet. But the fact that Toby was in love with Lois and had kidnapped her, definitely made Lex wary. He hadn't been aware that Toby had been sending Lois expensive gifts for the baby and he didn't know that Toby had planned to raise Clark and Lois' baby himself. How had he not seen that coming.

If it wasn't for the fact that Toby was pretty nifty getting in and out of locked places, he'd have gotten rid of him a long time ago. Lex smiled to himself as he thought of Helen, lying in a coma, near death. That was retribution enough, but knowing that Clark blamed her for Lex getting a hold of Lois' blood was icing on the cake. And as far as he was aware, Clark still hadn't made the connection of the break in at Oliver's apartment to Toby.

"Then I guess it's time to go."

Lex let out a quiet sigh, his plan to get the blood of the Kent baby may have failed. But he was a man who always thought ahead. As he turned around and started heading back with his bodyguard, he thought of his next one, it would be a while coming.

But like they say, good things come to those who wait. He needed to let the dust settle for a while before he tried again. He would have that baby, one way or another.

* * *

"Lois?" Clark called as he walked in the farm house that afternoon. The house was fairly silent, the only sound of the grandfather clock ticking away.

"Up here." He heard her voice come from upstairs so he quickly changed into his jeans and a white t-shirt and headed up.

He found her in the bathroom, sitting in a tub full of bubbles with Phoebe asleep in her basket across from her. There was a glass on the side next to her filled with what he knew had to be the non alcoholic champagne that Chloe had bought for her. She didn't appear to have touched it yet though since the vibrant pink coloured liquid was still full to the top of the glass. He idly wondered if it were a new brand, he'd never seen champagne that pink before.

"Hey," He murmured as he walked in, bending down to kiss her.

The scent of jasmine filled the air and as he looked at his wife, he could see she was feeling relaxed. She was obviously trying out some of her new gifts and he was happy to see that. He crouched down in front of her and held her face in his hands, just taking a moment to drink in her beauty.

She was amazingly gorgeous today, her face was flushed from the warmth of the water, her cheeks had a rosy glow that was adorable and her skin was slick and glistening and as he caught a glimpse of the swell of her breasts just under the suds, he had to fight with himself not to reach out and begin something he knew he shouldn't. He knew that they weren't able to do anything yet, even though Lois had appeared to heal pretty well, he still knew he should wait.

"Hey yourself, where on earth did you get to? I was starting to get worried."

"I'm sorry I missed the party but…it's been a interesting afternoon." He replied, getting up and turning to his sleeping daughter. Running a tender hand over Phoebe's dark, thick hair, he asked. "Where's mom anyway?"

"She's still at the Talon, she wanted to stay and help clean up."

"Did Lucy and your father get off to the airport okay?"

"Yup, and I made her promise to call me at least once a week." Lois narrowed her eyes as he sat down on the toilet and sighed. "So?"

"Hmm?"

She rolled her eyes. "How's Kara? Did Jor-El find out what's causing the loss of her flight?"

"In a way yes."

"What's that supposed to mean? Come on Smallville, spill it." She said impatiently.

"Well, it's not just the flight, she lost her strength too." As Lois shook her head, he smiled. "And…she's pregnant." You could've heard a pin drop in the room as Lois fell completely silent. Her eyes widened before a grin broke out on her face.

"That's great! Isn't it?" She asked, when Clark didn't respond.

"Hmm?" He snapped his attention away from Phoebe. "Oh yeah, it's fantastic news. She's a little freaked out right now but I think once she's told Oliver and they get used to the idea, she'll be ecstatic."

"I can't believe it, Kara's gonna be a mom. Wow that's weird huh?" She chuckled, glancing at Phoebe. "Well no weirder than me being one I guess."

"You're a great mom Lo."

"Thanks but I think we all know who her favourite is. She's a daddy's girl."

His heart kicked in his chest and he felt a warm fuzzy feeling fill him. "You think so?"

She leaned back in the tub, letting her head tilt to the side as she watched him with such love in her eyes. "I know so. But then, what's not to love about her daddy. He's an amazing person."

He reached forward and took her hand, smoothing his thumb over the back of it. "Thanks Lo."

They sat there, each staring into the other's eyes for the longest time when a soft snuffling noise broke the connection. Clark looked over as Phoebe's eyes fluttered open and landed on him.

"Hey there baby girl…how you doing?" He asked softly and then…his heart stopped.

Phoebe, his three day old daughter, was smiling, as she kicked her little legs about, knocking the blanket off her. The corners of her mouth were tilted up much like when she had wind, but somehow Clark knew this was different.

Her eyes were locked on his, and the smile still stayed. She was smiling…at him. It was a strange sensation, knowing that she shouldn't be able to do that yet and wondering exactly how much of his Kryptonian side had been passed down, but he couldn't help but smile back.

Carefully, he lifted her out and cradled her against his chest, holding her head against his chin. "Lois…she smiled at me."

He expected Lois to say the same thing he'd told Kara earlier, that it wasn't possible and that it was probably just gas but Lois only grinned. "See? Told you she's a daddy's girl. And a smart one too."

Clark felt his eyes water up as Phoebe started wriggling and crying letting him know that she was hungry and this little father-daughter bonding session was going to have to be put on hold. He glanced at Lois as she started getting up and he didn't want her to cut her relaxation time short just yet.

"No, stay there Lo. We still have some milk left from the party remember? I'll go feed her."

"You sure?" She asked and he could see that while she would get out and feed their daughter in a heartbeat, she was enjoying her bath too much to really want to get out.

"I'm sure. Just relax and come down when you're ready. Now then, what do you say we go get your tummy filled huh?" He cooed to his daughter as he walked out the door.

Lois sat back down and leaned against the bath, the warmth of the water once again surrounding her entire body. She smiled to herself, Clark was an amazing father as she knew he would be. But the way he was with Lois took her breath away sometimes.

Often she would catch him looking at her, with a gleam in his eye as if she were the only thing in his world. And she had never before felt so loved. But the way he was with Phoebe was just…it made her life complete. It was definitely something that she loved seeing. A man as big and as strong as Clark who was so gentle with his little baby cradled in his arms.

She sank a little lower into the water, letting it flow over her shoulders and up to her chin. Closing her eyes she let out a contented sigh. Life was good. She had a family she loved beyond measure, and soon Kara would get to know what that was like. She was so happy for Kara and Oliver, they deserved this. There was only one dark shadow that remained. Lex. But she wouldn't allow herself to think of him.

Reaching out, she took the glass of pink bubbly from the side and sipped it slowly, feeling the liquid warm her from the inside. After her second sip, she shook her head. Man, for non alcoholic stuff it sure had a kick.

######

As much as he loved watching his wife nurse their daughter, Clark realised that he loved feeding her too. He was sitting on the sofa with Phoebe cradled in one arm as his other held the bottle to her mouth. She was guzzling like she hadn't been fed for days and her little fingers were grasping onto one of his.

"I love you so much baby girl." He murmured, watching as her little eyes began to droop.

"I guess it'll soon be time for mommy and me to be looking for our own place huh? Would you like that? Your own room with lots of toys and things. Don't worry though, you'll still see grandma as much as possible because she loves you too. You have so many people who love you Phoebe, you'll never be alone sweetheart."

Taking the bottle out of her mouth, he leaned her forward and started rubbing her back. He chuckled as she let out a little burp and then settled her back again. She was asleep before the bottle was even empty so he got up and placed her in her basket, thinking it was a good thing that they had two around the house, one to be kept downstairs and one upstairs as well as her crib in their bedroom.

He placed the little stuffed giraffe next to her, a present he had picked up from New Zealand when he'd been dealing with a crisis there, and then walked into the kitchen to begin making dinner. His mom would no doubt be annoyed at being deprived of the chance but he wanted it to be ready for when she got home.

"Now there's a sight for sore eyes." He turned to the voice on the stairs and as he caught sight of his wife, the spoon he'd been holding fell from his hand, landing with a loud clank on the floor. He stood there, frozen, mouth hanging open as he stared at her.

Standing on the bottom step, Lois was dressed in a short denim shirt that reached up to just about half way up her slender thighs. Her black calf length boots accentuated the length of her legs. A cream coloured sleeveless blouse that had only three buttons on it, giving him a wonderful view of her cleavage, also gave him a glimpse of the delicate creamy skin of her abdomen. Man she really was back in shape, he thought.

Her chocolate brown hair fell in long, luscious waves over her shoulders and she was looking at him with a hunger in her eyes that he'd never seen before. As he felt something stirring within him, he watched as she walked over to him, slow and with purpose as her eyes held his.

"I uh…could say the same." He said, aware that his voice barely came out as more than a whisper. "Lois, what are you doing?"

She smiled, letting her fingers walk their way up his broad chest, leaning her head in close to his ear. "What? A girl can't get all dressed up to please the man she loves?"

She wrapped both hands around the back of his neck and just before she started attacking his throat, he caught a brief glimpse of red flash through her eyes.

"Lois…" He murmured, closing his eyes as she kissed her way down his throat. Her hands began stroking his torso, going lower and for a moment he didn't know what to do. He knew he should stop her, but his body was so not agreeing with that at the moment. As her hands snaked under his shirt, he hissed when they made contact with the bare skin of his chest.

"Lois, stop…"

She nuzzled her nose against his cheek while she carried on smoothing her hands all over him. "What's the matter Clark? Don't you want me?"

He licked his suddenly dry lips, and cleared his throat, this woman had a power over him that even green kryptonite couldn't match up to. "You know I do."

"Then what's the problem?" She asked, reaching her arms around him to cup his butt. He jumped a little at the sudden contact.

"Lois, what about Phoebe?"

For a second her smile faltered and she glanced into the living room, then back at Clark. "She's asleep. So we have the place to ourselves." Without warning, she pushed him back against the counter and launched another attack.

"Lois stop." He said again, a little stronger this time and she did, but only for a moment. A seductive smile appeared, making his knees go a little weak, but he knew he had to stand his ground. Something wasn't right here.

"Lois are you feeling okay?"

"I'm feeling great, for the first time in my life I have everything I ever wanted, and now…I want you." She placed her hands on his pecs. "Come on Clark, live a little huh?"

"We can't, you're not…"

"Sshh, I am so ready."

Clark grimaced, though it went against every feeling he had, he stepped away. "No Lois, we can't. I don't want to hurt you."

Lois rolled her eyes. "That again? Come on Clark, I think we both know by now that you won't. I just had your baby…"

"Exactly, you just had a baby, three days ago Lois. You need time to…"

Phoebe let out a wail and Clark glanced around to see her kicking furiously in her basket.

"Lois, what happened? Did you come into contact with anything red?" He asked, knowing what this must be but it was impossible. Red kryptonite only affected him and Kara, so how could it work on Lois. He couldn't think of any other explanation though, it just had to be.

"I had a great day with my family, and even though you took off for a very good reason, I just want to be close to you. I miss you." She replied quietly and Clark felt like the world's biggest jackass for turning her down. Especially when his own body was screaming at him to get with the program already. No, he had to stay focused here, this wasn't Lois. He needed to figure out exactly what happened to her.

As Phoebe's cries became louder, Clark went into the living room and lifted her up. Walking back into the kitchen, he saw Lois still standing in the same place, one hand on her hip as she leaned against the counter and his body gave him another shot of _what the heck are you thinking_, _get in there_.

Her gaze softened a little when she glanced down at Phoebe but when her eyes met his, he could see the lust return.

"Lois, why don't you hold your daughter." He said, hoping maybe that would be enough to snap her out of it.

Her bravado wavered for a moment, and he saw her take a small step towards him, but then she stopped. "I can't, not like this."

She crossed her arms in front of herself. "Clark, when did we become an old couple?"

"Old? Lois, we're only in our twenties."

"But we don't do anything anymore, we're always either here or at work or…I just needed to know that you still wanted me…that way."

He walked over to her, and wrapped an arm around her waist, bringing her body in close to his as he held Phoebe on his other side. "Lois, I always want you. Every second I'm with you. Never doubt that. But we're not old, we're just growing up. And we have this little one now."

"Yeah." She smiled and placed a loving hand on her daughter's back as she cried.

"I think she needs changing, don't move, I'll be right back."

He headed into the living room and laid Phoebe down on her changing mat, changing her diaper as quickly as he could. When he was finished, he picked her back up and turned around.

"Lois?" He glanced around the kitchen, but it was empty and the back door was open. "Oh no."

He made it outside just in time to see Lois' car pulling out of the driveway. Glancing down at his daughter, Clark frowned. "Well, what are we gonna do now huh?"

**_To Be Continued..._**


	37. Chapter 36

_**Chapter Thirty Six**_

Kara stood by the window inside her and Oliver's apartment, watching as the rain poured down outside, cascading down the pane of glass in front of her like a waterfall. She loved the rain, it always smelled wonderful and for some strange reason, it always soothed her.

Today however, it didn't and as she heard the front door open and Oliver's voice call out to her, she felt the nerves kick up a notch. How was she gonna tell him? Should she ease into it, or just drop it on him?  
She was still deciding when she walked into the living room and saw him standing there, staring at her, assessing her from head to toe.

"What happened to you?" She asked, noticing with a smile, the state of his jacket.

"Phoebe got a little sick." He said with a grimace. "And guess who happened to be holding her at the time."

Kara chuckled softly. "She's a sweetie huh? I really love that little girl."

"Yeah, she is. She's gonna bring Clark and Lois and well…all of us so much happiness. It's hard to be angry or upset when you're around her you know?"

Kara nodded and wrapped her arms around her stomach, hoping that he would feel the same way about his own child.

"Are you okay?" He asked, shrugging out of his jacket and walking over to her. "Why didn't Clark bring you back to the party?"

His face was a mask of concern and she couldn't bear to see him like that. He took her into his arms and hugged her, holding her head against his chest.

"I'm fine Ollie," She whispered, inhaling his scent deep. "I asked Clark to bring me back here because I wanted to talk to you in private." She loved the way he always smelled, it was a scent she was so familiar with, she could pick it out of a thousand and know it was him.

"Please tell me Jor-El didn't find anything wrong?" He asked, pulling back to look her in the eye.

She shook her head slowly, giving herself a moment to get the words aligned right in her head.

"Then what is it? Were you exposed to something? Come on, with everything he can do, surely he can figure out what's causing you to lose your power."

"No this isn't something he can really understand or help me with. Uh listen Ollie, maybe we should sit down."

"What for?" His eyes narrowed suspiciously. She pulled out of his embrace and crossed over to the large green sofa that was in the centre of their spacious living room. She waited for him to join her, avoiding his gaze while she tried to get her brain to work properly, but she was still processing this news herself.

"Well it's kinda funny actually," She chuckled dryly as he sat down next to her, with his body twisted towards her. "Remember when I found out that Lois was pregnant?"

"Yeah, it was right after…" He fell silent, and she knew he didn't want to bring up how close he'd been to losing her when she'd found out about his attempted murder of Lex. Man, that seemed like a lifetime ago. "What about it?"

"Well, we got talking remember, about how fantastic it was that we now knew that humans and Kryptonians could have babies?"

"Yeah." He replied slowly, he wasn't getting this at all, she thought.

"And you asked me if I would like to have one someday…" She let the sentence hang there for a moment, but when he still didn't catch on, she threw her hands up in the air in frustration.

"I'm pregnant Ollie!"

"Oh, phew, you had me worried….wait…what…?" His eyes opened so wide she was afraid they were going to pop right out of his skull. His mouth opened and closed like a goldfish and if she hadn't been so worried about his reaction, she would've laughed her butt off at the look on his face.

"Now would be a good time to say something." She murmured quietly, wanting to give him a little time to absorb what she'd just said but she was dying to know what was going through his mind right now. He didn't answer her, couldn't if looks were anything to go by. He was utterly speechless.

"Ollie…" She said, grabbing his shoulder as he turned a little pale, his wide eyes fixed on a point over her shoulder. "Oliver, anybody there?"

A few more silent moments passed and Kara was almost convinced he'd gone catatonic, he didn't even so much as blink. She sat back and crossed her arms in front of her. "Okay, well let me know when you want to talk. I'll be in the kitchen getting a snack."

She got up and walked across the living room, stopping when she got to the door and glancing back. Oliver was still sitting in the same position, frozen to the spot. With a frown, she went through to the kitchen. It had never occurred to her before that Oliver wouldn't want this, but then, she'd thought they had more time to plan it. This was a total surprise to both of them. She just hoped that Oliver would come around soon.

* * *

"I can't believe you took this, it's amazing." Chloe chirped as she sat across the table from Jimmy at the Ace of Clubs, holding one of his most recent photos.

"You think Clark and Lois will like it?"

Chloe smiled lovingly at her husband, sometimes he could be such a sentimentalist that it made her heart swell. But he could also be a little clueless too.

She chuckled. "Are you kidding me? They're gonna love it. It's perfect." She replied, studying the picture of her niece.

She was fast asleep in her father's arms, lying on her stomach across his chest and the look of adoration and pride on Clark's face was so…priceless. And Lois was standing behind him as he sat on the couch, arms wrapped around his shoulders and her daughter, face pressed against his, also staring down at their little bundle of joy.

The way the picture captured the sunlight coming in through the windows, giving both Clark and Lois a visible twinkle in their eyes, was simply breathtaking and Chloe could honestly say she'd never seen anything so beautiful.

"Jimmy, it's perfect." She said again, for clarification. He was practically beaming as he took the photo back and placed it carefully in its protective wrapping.

"I wanted to them to have a nice picture of her at this age and when I saw them like that the other day, I just had to snap it. It was such a perfect family moment."

Chloe reached over the table and took his hand in both of hers. "I love you Jimmy Olsen."

"I love you too Mrs Olsen." He grinned. Then his eyes lifted and looked over her head. "Uh Chlo?" He pointed to something behind her and when she turned around to look, her mouth fell open.

"Lois?" She said to herself in disbelief.

Her cousin was on the dance floor currently surrounded by about four guys who looked entirely too eager to get closer to her. Thankfully she was having none of it. She ignored them and just danced on her own, swaying her hips to the beat of the music pumping out from the large speakers.

"What is she…?" Chloe started, but then stopped as Lois spotted her and began making her way over.

"Oh my God, Chloe!" Lois said excitedly, squeezing her in a bear hug.

"Lois, what are you doing here? And where's Clark?" Chloe asked, surprised that Lois would be out partying alone. And even more surprised that Clark would willingly let her go out alone with that kind of outfit on.

"He's at home." Lois shrugged and bobbed her head in time with the music as she took a sip of her…wait, was that beer?

"Lois, why are you drinking beer?"

"Because I like it." She replied simply.

Chloe and Jimmy shared a quick, worried glance. "Uh Lois, what about Phoebe? You're breastfeeding remember, you can't drink alcohol."

Lois rolled her eyes and pointed to her bottle. "It's alcohol-free Chloe. Jeez I'm not that much of a terrible mother."

Chloe frowned, something wasn't right here. Lois wasn't acting like herself, if anything, Chloe could be forgiven for thinking that Lois was a little drunk. But if she'd only been on the alcohol free stuff, that didn't explain it, so what had happened to her?

She was about to ask when Lois suddenly grabbed her hand and started pulling her out of her chair. "Come on Chloe, I love this song!" She said excitedly. "You _have_ to dance with me."

Chloe looked to Jimmy for help but he just shrugged his shoulders and gave her a 'what can I do?' glance. She glared at him, knowing that he was probably thinking he shouldn't get involved when Lois was on a mission. She intimidated him.

"Lois, maybe you should sit down for a minute." Chloe said, trying to break free but her cousin was still quite strong and she had no way of getting out of her grip.

"No way, I am finally out for a little fun and that is exactly what I'm going to have."

She did however, stop pulling for a moment as she looked down at her cousin. "Come on Chlo, get off your butt, it's time for us girls to do a little living. It's a shame I can't get Kara out too, but she and Oliver have got some stuff to deal with so…never mind huh? Come on!"

As Lois managed to strong-arm her out of her seat, she leaned in to Jimmy. "Call Clark, get him here now."

Jimmy nodded and left the table to go and find a quiet place to call as Lois shoved Chloe onto the dance floor and started dancing away. Chloe had no choice but to join in, she didn't want Lois to leave before Clark got here.

* * *

Kara was just finishing off her sandwich when she felt rather than saw him enter the kitchen behind her. Her stomach rolled, she hadn't really felt like eating but for some reason, she thought she should now that she was carrying a child. She turned to look at him with apprehension, dreading the expression on his face. What she saw was neither good or bad, it was simply, blank, almost dazed.

"Ollie? Are you okay?" She asked, staying where she was, not wanting to spook him.

He shook his head slowly. "I uh…" He coughed to clear his throat. "You're um…you said you're pregnant."

She nodded and he took a step inside. "How? I mean I know_ how_ but…how?"

"Oh boy, that's a lot of 'hows'." She grimaced. "Look Ollie, I know this is a shock, I'm just as surprised as you are but…isn't this a good thing?"

He cleared his throat again, something Kara knew he only did when he was really nervous or upset. But which one was it? She wondered. When he didn't reply, she grew afraid. "I want this baby Ollie. I know that it's going to take you some time to adjust to the idea, but I really want us to be a family. A real family. Just please, tell me that you want this too."

She closed her eyes and leaned forward, bracing her arms on the counter. "Please." She whispered to herself. Then she felt his arms encircle her waist, turning her around to face him.

"Kara, we didn't plan this…" He said quietly, and she felt his hand on her cheek, gently urging her to open her eyes. She did, and sucked in a gasp at the smile he was wearing. "We didn't plan this…so soon, but I can't think of anything I want more."

"Really?"

"Are you kidding me? My wife is pregnant with my baby, how could I not be happy?"

"Then why don't you look happy?" She frowned, she could still see the hesitation in his eyes.

He sighed, and leaned his forehead against hers. "I don't know, I guess it's just the shock."

"Oliver," She pulled her head back and stared at him. "The truth."

"It's not that I'm not happy Kara, I just don't know if I'd be any good at it."

"At what?"

"At being a father. My parents died when I was five, I was raised by a relative but never really accepted. I don't know how to be a father."

Kara smiled sadly and pressed her palm to his cheek. "What is it with you and Clark? Do all men have this fear, or is it just you two? He said the same thing when he found out about Phoebe and just look at him now. I've never seen a father more in love with his child. He adores her. I know that you'll be the same."

She rubbed her thumb over his cheek in gentle soothing circles. "But you're not alone Ollie, I feel the same way. I don't know how to be a parent to a human child."

"But it won't be human, not completely anyway. Just like Phoebe." He smiled. "He or she will be a part of you too."

"That's not the point, I don't know how to take care of a little one."

Oliver sighed and nodded, staring at a point over her shoulder. "We're a pair huh? Both scared of the same thing, terrified of the unknown."

She nodded. "But I want this baby Ollie, so much. I want a chance to be a good mother. If Lois can do it, so can I. And at least I have her to go to, she had no one. And you have Clark too,"

"That's true I guess." He took in a very large breath and looked back down at her. "So are we really going to do this? Are we gonna have a baby?"

She smiled. "Yeah, we're gonna have a baby."

He chuckled against her hair as he held her close. "I think maybe we'd better offer our services as babysitters then huh? Get a little practice in."

"You know you had me worried for a little while there." She said, snuggling into him. "You were almost catatonic, I couldn't get through to you."

"I'm sorry. I guess I just needed a little time for it to sink in. Even though it isn't really doing that right now, it feels strangely surreal. But I didn't mean to make you think that I wouldn't want this."

"It's okay, but…are you really happy about this?"

"Kara, I love you so much, and I want that kind of love to be shared with all our children. So yes, I'm very happy."

"All?" She raised a brow.

"Yeah, at least four."

"Four?" Her eyes widened at the thought. She never thought he'd want four.

"We can go for more if you want…" He shrugged. "I'm kidding. But as they say…practice makes perfect…" He said seductively. She nudged him away from her but giggled when he pulled her back. Then his expression turned serious as he cupped her face in both hands.

"You're pregnant." He said, his tone reverent, his hand drifting down to rest on her abdomen. "My wife is having my baby." He repeated, as if trying to drill the words into his head.

She knew that was just his way of coming to accept the idea. And she could finally release her fears. He wasn't going to let her go through this alone.

"I promise to do everything in my power to be there for you and love our child as much as I love you." He said quietly, making tears spring up in her eyes.

"I love you Ollie." She whispered, leaning into him for a heart stopping kiss.

* * *

"Lois," Chloe called, raising her voice to be heard over the music. She made a 'T' shape with her hands. "I'm out."

"Oh come on!" Lois cried.

"I'm just gonna sit down for a minute, I've had a really long day and…" She was a little surprised and slightly hurt as Lois raised her hand to cut her off.

"Fine, go. I'll be at the bar." She said hotly, stalking off.

This wasn't the Lois she knew. What had gotten into her? She was acting as if she had no cares in the world, no responsibilities, no ties. And she seemed much more aggressive than normal. Almost angry. It was almost as if…Chloe shook her head. No that couldn't be it. That stuff only affected Clark and Kara.

So then why, as she headed back to her table, couldn't she get the thought out of her mind. Lois was acting a lot like Clark did whenever he'd been exposed to red k. But it wouldn't have affected Lois, surely?

"Hey, did you get a hold of Clark?" She asked Jimmy as she sat down next to him.

"Yeah, he sounded pretty worked up. He's on his own with the baby, but his mom's on her way home now so he should be here soon."

"Good, I think he needs to get her home and then we can figure out what happened and how to fix it."

"Maybe she just wanted to let her hair down. It's been a while since she's done that." Jimmy offered.

Chloe shook her head at him. "No, you can't tell me that this is the Lois you know."

"I guess not. She is acting weird, what's gotten into her?"

"I think I have an idea, but I don't know for sure." She leaned her elbows on the table and started massaging her temples, trying to ease the pressure that had built up there.

"You okay?" Jimmy asked, slipping an arm around her shoulders.

"Yeah, I'm just tired." She glanced around the room, then over at the dance floor, and then over to the bar. "Oh no, where is she?"

Jimmy scanned the room and then looked back at Chloe with the same expression she imagined was on her own face. _Oh crap.  
_  
"Come on, we gotta find her." She grabbed his hand and dragged him out of his seat.

As they nudged their way through the throngs of people, a whoop of cheers sounded from the balcony. On a hunch, Chloe made her way out there and her jaw dropped as she saw Lois standing on one of the tables, swinging her arms above her head and laughing freely as she danced.

"Hey lady, get down from there!" Someone yelled, obviously an employee.

"Lois!" Chloe yelled, rushing over to her, a feeling of dread taking over her. She was so close to the…

As Lois pivoted around to face her, her heel fell into a crack in the table and she lost her balance, falling backwards. The next few seconds seemed to happen in slow motion, a look of sheer panic crossing Lois' features as she tried to right herself but couldn't, and then, without barely a sound from her…she was gone.

Chloe flung herself at the wall as fast as she could, but it was too late. "Lois!"

She watched as her cousin started plummeting down to the ground, fear seizing her in a vice-like grip, making her heart stop. She did the only thing she could think of at that moment.

"SUPERMAN!"

Her voice came out so loud and terrified that the music stopped and the dozens of shocked people standing on the balcony with her, all turned to stare at her, their faces dazed. Then there was a rush of wind, so strong as it blew past them, and all Chloe could see was the streak of a red and blue blur as Clark swooped down.

He wasn't going to make it, Chloe thought, slapping her hands over her eyes. She couldn't bear this. But when there was no sound of impact, she carefully peeled her hands away and looked over the edge of the wall.

"Whoa man did you see that? He caught her. Right at the last minute. She would've gone splat. He freaking caught her!" Someone said excitedly next to her.

Chloe couldn't share in his excitement however, her heart was pounding in her chest, and she was afraid that it would never return to normal. As the people around her erupted into shouts of cheers, she sagged into Jimmy's arms, watching as Clark flew Lois high above the building and out of sight. A second later, she got a text from him but off Lois' number._ I got her. Don't worry xx_  
**_To Be Continued..._**


	38. Chapter 37

_**Chapter Thirty Seven**_

"Cutting it a little close there weren't you Smallville?" Lois laughed as Clark put her down on the ground just outside the farmhouse. "I was about ten seconds away from being road kill."

Clark dragged a shaky hand through his hair, willing his heart to stop pounding so fast. He'd been so scared that he wouldn't get to her in time. What the hell was she thinking, pulling a stunt like that? He was so angry at her right now.

"What's going on Lois?" He asked, trying to keep his voice steady. Lois spun around, walking backwards as she beckoned him with a finger towards the barn.

"Are you even hearing me?" He yelled after her.

"Yeah, but I'm not in the mood to answer questions." She replied sweetly.

He frowned. "What were you doing at the Ace of Clubs?"

"I was having fun Smallville, remember what that is? You may be too busy to notice me these days but some of those guys there certainly weren't." She countered, breaking into a run but instead of heading into the barn where he thought she was going, she ran across into one of the fields. She wasn't wearing a jacket and the cold winter wind whipped through her hair, making her cheeks red but she didn't even notice.

Refusing to acknowledge what she'd just said because he didn't need to add another emotion to his already full list, Clark wondered how on earth he was going to get her back to normal. When he was on red kryptonite, the only way to get him off it was to let him sweat it out of his system, that usually meant weakening him with green kryptonite. But somehow, he didn't think that was going to work on Lois.

"Lois!" He chased after her, his anger and frustration at her going up a notch. Something in his tone must've gotten through to her because she stopped and pivoted round on her heels, her face annoyed as she put her hands on her hips.

"What?"

"What? You're seriously gonna stand there and pretend not to know why I'm angry."

"You're angry?" She asked, her bravado faltering for a second, making his anger waver. But it reappeared as soon as her smirk did.

"Gee I don't know Lois, let me think. You take off and go to a club, wearing hardly anything…"

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with what I'm wearing!"

"And then you tell me that there were guys there practically drooling all over you. And you expect me to be happy about this?"

"Lighten up Clark, it's not like I did anything. They were only looking, they knew they couldn't touch." She said with a self satisfied grin.

Clark couldn't hold it in any longer. He just exploded. "Lois, what the hell were you thinking? You could've been killed just now."

She sauntered up to him and traced the crest of the House of El on his chest with one finger. "Well, luckily for me, my husband is pretty good in a tight situation." She looked him up and down, then leaned in a little closer and whispered. "And he fills out the spandex remarkably well."

"This isn't funny Lois. Do you have any idea what seeing you falling from that building did to me? Not to mention what you put your own cousin through. Chloe looked like she was about to have a heart attack."

She dropped her hands and huffed. "What's the big deal, you caught me. You always catch me, I'm fine so let's just get over it and move on."

"Move on, no we're not moving on. I want to talk about this."

But she was having none of that. "There's nothing to talk about. I was having fun, it got a little out of hand and I fell. These things happen, I didn't plan it, but it's over now."

"Have you ever considered the possibility that one day I might not be there to catch you? Has that ever crossed your mind?" He asked, crossing his arms over his chest to stop his hands from shaking. He still couldn't get the image of her falling through the air out of his mind. Her face had been a picture of pure fear, and that would stay with him for a long time.

She looked at him and laughed, she actually laughed, he couldn't believe it. "You're over reacting Clark…" She started.

"I could've lost you!" He shouted, trying to get it through to her just how close he'd come. "Phoebe could've lost her mother and she's only three days old!" He didn't want to yell at her, but he just couldn't help it. Her attitude was making it very hard to keep calm and even though he knew that most of it wasn't her fault, there was still some of the Lois he knew in there. And that was what scared him most.

"But she didn't. I'm here and I'm fine." She replied, though her smirk was now gone and as she looked over at him, he could see a hint of sadness in her eyes.

"Lois, what happened to you earlier? What did you come into contact with?" He asked, a little softer now.

"I don't know." She said, "But whatever it was, I've never felt this surge of…adrenalin before, not even when I was out chasing down leads. It's awesome Clark, and scary. Because I don't know what I'm capable of anymore. But I've never felt so…alive."

"But did you really feel the need to go out partying to feel that? What's so wrong with staying with me?"

"I gave you a chance remember? You turned me down. I mean geez Smallville, it doesn't exactly inspire a woman's confidence when her own husband says no to her."

Though she meant it as a joke, he could see that it had deeply affected her, he hadn't thought she would take that to heart so much. Because nothing could be further from the truth. Sometimes, he had to physically restrain himself to keep away from her.

Sighing, he went over to her and put his arms around her waist, drawing her close.

"That's more like it." She chuckled, burying her head in his chest.

But before Clark could respond, Lois started kissing his neck, running her hands up and down his chest, making him pause for a moment. She worked her kisses up to his jaw line, over his cheek, and finally, captured his mouth. He might have been annoyed at her, but he was defenceless when it came to her kisses.

It had been so long since he'd last made love to her, felt her body flush against his like this, it felt like a lifetime ago and suddenly, he found himself responding, deepening the kiss with an urgency both of them felt. Lois' hands came up to cup his face as his tightened on her hips, pressing her harder into his body and when she felt his obvious need for her, she broke away, a small gasp escaping her lips.

"Lois…" Was that his voice? It sounded like gravel. "We can't…"

She put a finger to his lips. "Sshh, yes we can. I'm perfectly healthy Clark, I've healed pretty well." She looked up at him and what he saw in her eyes made him more than a little breathless. Lust mixed with hope and the tiniest hint of fear. Fear of rejection. "I just wanted to live a little tonight, that's all. Just wanted to see that I could still go out and be myself. Still be Lois, you know. But I need you Clark. I need you to make love to me, I need you to love me as only you can."

"Lois, this isn't right. You're not…yourself."

"I feel more myself than ever and I want this. I know you do too." She replied, her tone low and sultry, doing funny things to his insides. He closed his eyes as he pressed his forehead against hers.

"Lois…" He whispered.

"Please Clark, love me…" That was his undoing. He swept her up into his arms and before he could even form a thought, he sped into the house, noting that his mom was already in bed and Phoebe was obviously in her room with her. He took Lois upstairs and laid her down on the bed, hovering above her for a few seconds.

"Lois…"

"Smallville, stop thinking so much and kiss me." She demanded.

As he smiled and cautiously began removing her clothes, she giggled as his hand brushed the ticklish spot on her side. "I love it when you do that…" She said breathlessly.

He stopped for a moment and looked up at her, her cheeks were flushed though not from the wind any longer, and her eyes held onto his, as if afraid that he were about to pull back at any moment. He knew he should, this wasn't right, but he couldn't ignore the fire that she ignited within his blood.

As she pulled his face down to hers, the last thing that went through his mind before he lost himself completely in her kiss, was the overwhelming feeling of relief that he'd caught her in time. Because he honestly did not know what he would do without her in his life. She was his biggest strength…and his weakness. But he wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

"Well Phoebe, here we are." Martha said softly as she lifted Phoebe out of her pushchair. After waking to find Clark and Lois both asleep, Martha had decided to leave them to their rest, they obviously needed the time alone, so she got up and made breakfast for herself and fed Phoebe, then dressed her in warm clothes and left the house.

She couldn't explain the need to come here, but as she kneeled on the ground, she just knew that it was something she had to do. Reaching out, she touched her husband's headstone with such tender care as she cradled her granddaughter in her arm.

Phoebe was wide awake, but she seemed content enough for the moment and as Martha glanced down at her, there was something in the little girl's eyes that made her question if Phoebe was picking up on some of her own emotions. Eyes the same as her father's stared back up at Martha and she could see the same heart and soul in them as Clark had. There was no doubting whose daughter this was.

Turning back to the gravestone, Martha traced the outline of his name, the same as she'd done countless times when she always came here. Though it had been years, a part of her still couldn't believe he was gone. "Hi sweetheart," She murmured softly.

"Look who I've brought. I know that you've probably already seen her, but I wanted to introduce the two of you. Phoebe, this is where your grandpa Kent lays, sleeping with the angels, but he's up there somewhere, looking down and watching over you." She sniffled a little.

"Can you believe we have a grandchild Jonathan? I mean, our baby boy, all grown up, now has a little girl of his own. We always dreamed of this didn't we? We talked about how much we would love to see Clark finally have a family of his own one day. And at times it was hard, I never lost hope, but sometimes when I looked at him, I would get concerned that maybe, just maybe, he could be right. That this couldn't happen for him."

She let out a small chuckle. "I guess you were right after all. You told me to hang in there, because you knew that he would one day get everything he ever dreamed of. Oh, you would be so proud of him Jonathan, he's become the man we always knew he would be. A symbol of hope to millions who need it, a loving husband and an adorable father."

She shifted her weight and sat back on the dry grass, ignoring the chill of the early winter morning as she pulled Phoebe's blanket tighter around her. "She has his eyes Jonathan, and Lois' mouth and nose. She's so beautiful and precious. We always said that Clark was our miracle, well this little one here truly is a miracle. She defied all the odds of being here, because nobody knew if it was ever possible. I guess it just goes to show that you can never give up hoping."

Phoebe let out a little murmur and slowly began drifting back to sleep as Martha rocked her from side to side.

"I wish you were here with us sweetheart, so much. I miss you. But I know that you can see her, and that's enough for me." She paused.

"All those years we spent worrying about Clark's secret, protecting him from anyone who might want to take him away from us, we never really understood him did we? We loved him, nurtured him, raised him, but nobody could ever know what he goes through. But on some level, I think Lois does. She sees a part of him that no one else does. She protects the most important part of him, his heart. Because without his heart, what's left to give the rest of the world? That girl, the one who came crashing into our lives, turning them upside down, became our daughter, and I love her as much as I love Clark." She smiled.

"When I look at the two of them, I don't just see Lois and Clark, I see us. Their love is so strong, it just shines for the whole world to see and it's nice because it reminds me of you and how in love we always were. I told her a long time ago, that one day, she would meet her Jonathan, just like I met mine. And you know what?" She smiled down at the sleeping infant in her arms. "She did find her Jonathan,"

She leaned a little closer and whispered. "And he found his Martha too."

* * *

Lois' eyes slowly fluttered open and she had to blink a few times to get them used to the light that was pouring in through the curtains. Raising a hand to her pounding head, she felt like she'd been run over by a truck going at full speed. She glanced around the room, and found herself in her and Clark's bed, in a tangle of limbs.

He was draped halfway across her, one arm slung over her, face resting on her chest, butt naked and fast asleep and she took a moment to assess just exactly what had happened last night. She remembered partying at the Ace of Clubs, the sleazy guys who were trying to put the moves on her, and then…oh. Yeah, she remembered the fall and Clark getting there just in time. It had been a close call indeed.

She looked down at him and ran her fingers through his soft dark hair. Man, what had she put him through last night? What had been wrong with her? All she knew was that she'd felt the overwhelming urge to just go out…do something…anything to make her feel more than just a wife or a mother.

She grimaced. That was a terrible thing to want, she was as happy as she could be, she loved her husband and her daughter more than anything, but she couldn't deny that it had been there. And then there was Chloe, she'd been less than nice to her, not to mention the fact that Chloe had watched her take a nosedive off the balcony.

Imprisoned by Clark's massive frame, she couldn't move to get out of bed, and her mind went through every little detail of the night before.

"Lois?" Clark's sleepy voice brought her out of her thoughts and as her eyes met his, she suddenly felt very emotional. "Are you okay?"

"I'm not sure." She answered roughly, still running her fingers through his hair. He shifted so that he was lying on his side, propping his head up with one hand as he studied her.

"Do you remember anything about last night?"

"Yeah." She frowned. "Most of it."

Clark sighed, and cupped her face, he looked slightly worried as he asked. "How do you feel?"

She knew what he was referring to, last night had been the first time they'd made love since before she'd had Phoebe. And she just knew from the look on his face right now that he was concerned that he might have hurt her. Nothing could be further from the truth though, he'd been so gentle with her, that it had made her feel as if she were the only woman on the planet. It wasn't so much about the sex, it had been more a reconnecting of their souls, linking them together in the most intimate way.

"Like I have a hangover actually, but okay for the most part."

"You're not…sore? Or hurt?"

She shook her head. "No, not at all. And I remember that part very well Smallville. But what happened to me?"

"I'm not a hundred percent sure, but I think it may have been red kryptonite."

Lois felt her eyes go wide as saucers. "How?"

"I don't know, maybe it was the champagne that Chloe bought you. It doesn't matter, I'm just glad to see that you're back to normal."

"So it just passed out of my system, just like that?" She asked.

He shrugged. "I guess so, the only way to get it out of mine is with green kryptonite so I suppose you just had to sleep it off. What exactly do you remember?"

"Well, I remember going to the club, having a good time and then…I fell." Clark's face darkened as she spoke. "But you caught me."

"Yeah." He replied.

"I knew you wouldn't let me fall anyway so…"

"Of course I wouldn't. I wouldn't ever let anything happen to you Lois, but sometimes, it's not always possible for me to be there. I get that you weren't yourself, I do, but there was still a small part of you in there wasn't there? And don't lie to me, I know how red k affects me, so I know that some part of you at least had to know what you were doing."

She couldn't really blame him for still being mad at her, because, he was right. She had known what she was doing. "I guess I did."

"So how did you manage to fall off the balcony?"

She turned her head away from him and looked out of the window. "I uh…well, I was dancing on one of the tables and my heel got caught in one of the grooves, and I lost my balance."

"So what I can't get my head around, is the fact that you were so adamant on having fun that you even risked your life to get it." His tone was soft, it wasn't an lecture or admonishment, but rather him telling her how he felt about her actions. But it still stung.

"Careless you mean?"

He sighed, and paused as if choosing his next words wisely. "Lois, we have a daughter now, you can't do things the way you used to anymore. I'm just stating facts here, not opinions. It's bad enough that she has a father who has to put himself in the line of fire, but Lois, you're not invincible, you _can _be hurt and I don't want her to grow up without a mother. _I _don't want to wake up without you here next to me. Don't you know that it would kill me if anything happened to you?"

She covered her face with her hands, because she couldn't take the look in his eyes and because she felt so ashamed of the way she'd behaved. "You see? I warned you didn't I?"

He frowned. "About what?" He asked, pulling one of her hands away from her face.

"I told you that I would be a terrible mother, but you wouldn't believe me." She got out of bed and stormed over to the door, but before she even got close, Clark was in front of her, blocking her way.

"Get out of my way please." She asked, avoiding his penetrating gaze. Fully aware that she was still naked, she crossed her arms over her chest and looked down at the floor. Until he stepped forward and tilted her chin up to look at him.

"Lois, I never said you were a bad mother. Where did you get that idea from?"

"But I am. I wasn't thinking about Phoebe last night, and I should've been. She should always be the first on my priority list. Instead I left her with you so that I could go out and have…fun."

She couldn't help it, a little sob broke free of her chest and she felt Clark's arms wrap themselves around her, cocooning her in his warmth. She fought for a moment, but then relaxed herself into his embrace. Leaning her forehead on his chest, she dragged some more air down into her lungs and expelled it harshly. "I didn't think about the effect my actions could have on her." She looked up into his eyes. "Or on you. I'm so sorry Clark."

He brought his hands up to cup her face. "Lois, I don't want you to be sorry. Heck I've done enough in the past to be sorry for when I've been on that stuff so if anyone can understand, it's me. And believe me, I did a lot worse than you. I hurt the people I cared about, and I never thought twice about it until I was back to normal. So it's not your fault."

He leaned in and kissed the tip of her nose. "But this parenting thing is still new to us, we're bound to make mistakes from time to time. Doesn't mean you're a terrible mother. You love Phoebe, with your whole heart, and that's what really matters in the end."

"But I…" He put a finger to her lips.

"No Lois, you don't see what I see when I look at you with her. She's only been in our lives for a short time, but I know that there's nothing you wouldn't do for her. So please, don't put yourself down about it, I can't stand it. You're the mother of my child," He said, as if that sentence meant so much more than the words he'd said.

Lois sniffled, hating the fact that she was crying again, but then she realised, that if she couldn't be vulnerable and let her innermost demons out with her husband, the man she shared her life with, who could she let them out with. And she knew that he understood. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held onto him so tightly, pressing her face into the bare skin of his chest.

"I'm going to have to apologise to Chloe when I see her too. But I'm sorry for the things I said to you. I didn't mean them, not really."

"I know Lois, but maybe I could be a little more understanding about the fact that you feel this way. I know I'm not always here when I should be...and it's hard trying to find that balance between being Superman and being a husband and father."

"And you do a wonderful job, I couldn't ask for more. You are here when I need you, you are just adorable with Phoebe. And I fully understand that you have a lot of responsibilites when it comes to keeping the world safe, and I'm fine with it. But...I did mean something that I said last night."

"And what's that?"

"I do need you." She pulled back, looking up at him. "And I love you."

"I love you too Lo, more than you could ever possibly imagine."

He leaned in and captured her lips in a searing kiss that reinforced his words and she felt her body go limp, her bones turning to mush in his arms. She felt his hands stroking up and down her back, making her skin tingle. She responded in kind, running her hands over his torso, loving when his breath caught in his throat. She loved the effect she had on him.

"Where's Phoebe?" She asked, her throat husky when she pulled back.

"She's with mom."

Lois groaned. "Oh God, your mom must think I'm…"

He shut her up with another kiss, his hands roaming her body, and guided her back towards the bed. "Are you sure you're okay?"

She nodded and smiled. "I'm sure."

"In that case, I think…" He said slowly, his voice low and seductive. "That we should make the most of this private time. Don't you?"

As his mouth got busy on her neck, trailing light kisses down to her collarbone, she thought she couldn't agree more.

**_To Be Continued..._**


	39. Chapter 38

_**Chapter Thirty Eight**_

"Okay, thanks." Oliver snapped his phone shut and went over to Kara, who was sitting on the edge of their bed. He kneeled down in front of her and cupped her cheek.

"How you feeling sweetie?" He asked, noting the grey pallor of her face.

"Better. I think." She said, swallowing hard. It had been a week since she'd found out she was pregnant and the morning sickness was starting to hit her hard. It was always worse during the evening, but over the last couple of days, it had been attacking her in the afternoons as well.

"Well, Emil said he would see you as soon as we can get to him."

Kara groaned and flopped over onto her side. "Man, how do humans do this? I feel awful. How on earth did Lois get through this?"

"The same way you are now, I would imagine. One day at a time."

"Clark's still bringing her and Phoebe over today right?" She asked, a hopeful tone to her voice and he felt grateful that she at least had Lois to talk to about this. He didn't have a clue what to do for her. This was all new and strange to him. And if he was honest, a little scary.

He'd spent most of his life playing the billionaire playboy that everybody had read about in the papers. A spoiled rich brat who couldn't really remember his own parents that well since he'd been only five when they'd died. But since Kara had come into his life, he'd become a new man.

And now he was gonna be a father, and even though it still freaked him out, he was falling in love with the idea more and more each day. He'd decided that he was going to be the kind of father that he'd been deprived of all these years.

"When I talked to him last night he said they were gonna stop by this afternoon."

Kara nodded and closed her eyes, flinging her arm over them. So far, she had only lost her strength and flight, but Oliver was keeping himself prepared for the rest of her powers to start fading too.

He wondered if maybe since Lois was a human pregnant with a half Kryptonian baby, she'd gained some Kryptonian aspects. And Kara, being pregnant with a human baby, was essentially becoming…human. He couldn't think of another explanation for it. And what was worse, Jor-El couldn't either.

"Can I get you anything?" He asked, sitting up on the bed next to her. He rubbed her thigh softly.

"No, I think I'm good. For now at least." She sat up and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"I wish I could do something to help you." He murmured, wrapping his arm around her and rubbing her shoulder lightly.

"You do enough Ollie. I couldn't ask for anymore." She turned her head and kissed him lightly on the lips.

Wrapping both arms around her, Ollie deepened the kiss, but a buzzing noise broke the moment. He groaned as she chuckled, patting his shoulder, and picked his cell phone up. "Hello?"

Kara watched him as she went about getting dressed, his face set in concentration as he listened to what his caller was telling him. Shrugging into a thick red turtleneck sweater, she saw him frown as he snapped his phone shut.

"What's wrong?"

He looked up at her, puzzled. "Lex is gone."

* * *

Lois playfully splashed some water onto her daughter's chest and giggled when the little girl kicked her legs furiously, a big frown signalling the storm that was about to come.

"Ah I know you don't like the water sweet pea, but I'm afraid we all have to deal with things we don't like. Its one of life's little lessons."

"Lois, isn't she a little young to be learning the ways of the world yet?" Clark's voice drifted in and she looked over her shoulder to see him standing in the bathroom's doorway, leaning against the frame with his arms crossed. He was watching them with a bright smile and that twinkle in his eye that was only there when he looked at the two of them together.

"It's never too early to start Smallville."

She turned back to Phoebe, who was now lying still and watching her mother with curious eyes. She did that a lot, Lois noticed. She seemed to be a very intuitive baby and Lois had to wonder if that was coming from her father's _special_ side or not. But since she hadn't known many newborn babies, she had no basis for comparison.

She threw her daughter a wink. "Stick with me kid, you'll learn fast. Daddy on the other hand…" She chuckled, lifting Phoebe out of her little bath and into Clark's towel draped arms.

"Well, he likes to look at the world through rose-tinted glasses." She laughed, kissing her daughter's wet head before pushing Clark's glasses up his nose. She hated those things, they only served to remind her that her husband always had to hide his true nature. But it was a necessary evil and she had to admit that he did look hot in them.

But couldn't he get a pair that at least stayed on his nose without slipping down? It drove her so crazy sometimes she just wanted to rip them off his face and stomp on them.

She turned away but then Clark's hand shot out and grabbed her upper arm, hauling her back around to him. Before she could say anything, his lips came crashing down on hers, making her more than a little breathless and if it weren't for the fact that he had their baby in his arms, she would've attacked him right there. She pulled back and smoothed out her clothes, feeling a little flustered. With a satisfied grin, Clark looked down at Phoebe.

"But I guess that isn't such a bad thing." She breathed, smoothing a hand over Phoebe's thick, wet hair. Phoebe let out a tiny cooing sound as she stared up at her father, completely enamoured by him as she always was. And she always held his attention too.

Walking through to the bedroom, Clark laid Phoebe down on the bed and started drying her with the towel. Lois perched herself on the edge, just watching them interact. The faces that Clark pulled and the noises he made were just so adorable Lois could literally melt into a puddle.

And not for the first time, she wondered how she'd gotten so incredibly lucky to have found a guy like him. After everything that had happened last week, she couldn't believe that he wasn't even a little mad at her for some of the things she'd said. True she hadn't been herself, but there had been a small part of her in there and she had known what she was saying. Sometimes when she looked at Phoebe, she still felt guilty for not thinking of her when she should've been.

Thank goodness Chloe had managed to find out that the champagne she'd bought her had been made using traces of red meteor rock. Used as a cheap substitute to alcohol, it meant that the manufacturers could get away with selling watered down versions of their drink and still have it give a little kick without the effects of alcohol. After she'd found out where it had come from, Lois had thrown the bottle out and launched a campaign to get it off the shelves.

"Lois?" She looked over at Clark, he was looking at her as if waiting for an answer.

"Hmm?"

"I said, what do you say we go over to Kara and Oliver's a little earlier, maybe we could all go out for lunch?"

"Sounds great, I need to go into the city anyway. I'll go give Kara a call." She jumped up off the bed and ran downstairs to grab her cell phone. As she reached the counter in the kitchen, something glittering caught her eye.

"Whoa, Martha, you went all out." Lois said as she walked into the living room. Martha was bent over the coffee table, fishing around in a big cardboard box. There were Christmas decorations everywhere. Ah, so that was what Clark had brought down from the attic earlier.

"Well," Martha stood up straight and brushed some hair out of her eyes. "Christmas Eve is in three days and we have nothing in this house. How did we let it get to this point? I used to have all this done in the second week of December."

"Well, we've all been a little preoccupied lately. Hey, why don't you come to Metropolis with us, have lunch with Kara and Ollie and…" She trailed off, wringing her hands together.

"And what sweetie?"

"Well, I need a little help, I have no idea what to buy Clark. I've been wracking my brains but I just can't think of anything. For him, it has to be…special."

Martha carefully placed the little ceramic figurines of a family sitting around a warm fire, opening presents, down into the box and stepped forward.

"Lois, I would love to dear, but this has to be something from you. And I'm sure you'll think of something."

"I wouldn't be so sure on that. I bet Clark already got his weeks ago and I just know that its going to be something that's gonna make me go all sappy. I need to get something that no one else has ever thought to get him before."

"Well, you are his wife Lois, you know what he likes. What he loves. You'll think of something sweetheart."

"How do you do that?" Lois asked, smiling.

"What?"

"Always know the right thing to say. How do you know what to say and do at just the right time?"

Martha chuckled and wrapped Lois in a hug. "It's a mother's gift Lois. Don't worry, you'll get there."

Lois smiled and hugged her back. "So will you come to lunch with us?"

Shaking her head, she replied. "I've got a lot to get done here Lois, but you go, have fun. And tell my niece that I would like to see her sometime soon."

Lois nodded, Martha still didn't know that Kara was pregnant but that wasn't Lois' secret to tell. Kara and Oliver would tell people when they were ready to. Kara had been calling her a lot over the past week, asking her various questions about her pregnancy with Phoebe and Lois had tried to be as supportive as she could be. She knew that Kara was still pretty freaked out and probably scared. Lois could relate to that. But Lois didn't have the added headache of losing her powers too.

"I'll tell her. I feel bad leaving you here to do all this on your own." She said, glancing around the glittering room.

"Oh don't, I love this." Martha said, excitement twinkling in her eyes. "I love getting my house all festive, when Clark was a boy, he used to try and help but uh…well let's just say he gave up after about a hundred broken ornaments." She chuckled, her eyes hazing over as she remembered. "He was a little rough with them."

"But he always helped with the tree. Though that was Clark and Jonathan's traditional job."

As Martha's smile faded a little, Lois knew she had to say something. "Well, how about we pick up a tree on our way home and the three of us can decorate it together? You know, start a new tradition." Her eyes widened. "Oh crap, not that I meant that Jonathan…um…"

Martha chuckled and gripped her hand. "It's all right Lois. And I would love that. I know that you and Clark are looking for a place to live in Metropolis, and you'll probably be moving out soon, but I would love to start a new tradition with my son, my granddaughter…" Her eyes met Lois'. "And my daughter."

Lois felt her eyes grow a little watery, so she leaned in and kissed Martha on the cheek before hugging her fiercely.

"Thanks…mom."

* * *

Sitting in a little bistro in Metropolis, Lois leaned back in her chair and cradled her steaming mug of hot chocolate between both hands. The winter weather was really starting to hit hard now, and evidently, everyone was feeling the affects. You could barely see a face in the crowds on the streets because they were all either covered by scarves or coat collars.

She took a sip of the drink that Clark had recently gotten her addicted to, and teased her constantly about, and felt the warmth seep into her gut, radiating outwards through her body.

Clark sat next to her, eating a bagel, and Oliver and Kara were on the other side of the table. Phoebe, all wrapped up in a lemon coloured blanket, because Lois refused to put her in anything pink, was currently lying in Kara's arms and the little girl's eyes were wide as they stared up at Kara.

"I will never get tired of holding this little angel." Kara sighed.

Lois chuckled. "That's because you haven't changed a diaper yet. You just wait, the fun and games are about to begin."

Kara's grin faded a little and Lois felt bad, so she reached over the table and patted Kara's hand. "Hey, you're gonna be fine Kara. If I can be a mother, anyone can."

"Lois…" Clark said, his tone disapproving. She knew he hated it whenever she brought her mothering skills into question.

"What? It's true. If I can be a mom, Kara will have no problems."

"You really mean that Lois?" Kara asked, still looking a little unsure and Lois cursed herself for her constant ability to always stick her foot in her mouth.

"Of course I do." Kara smiled and looked back down at Phoebe, who was now drifting off to sleep.

"I really hope my baby is as gorgeous as she is. She's just…adorable."

"Are you kidding me? Look at the parents, both blonde, both gorgeous. He or she is gonna be a stunner." Lois chuckled.

"So how are _you_ feeling?" Kara asked and Lois knew from her smirk that she was referring to the incident last week.

"I'm fine." At Kara's grin she huffed. "Oh come on, like you've never done anything like that."

"Actually, I've never had an encounter with red k. But from what I've heard from Clark, it sounds like a lot of fun."

"Kara!" Clark hissed.

"What? I'm not going to go out and find any. But come on, anything that can make you loosen up a little can't be all bad surely?"

"Kara…" Clark warned.

Kara giggled. "I'm just kidding Clark jeez. You need to lighten up."

Clark smiled at her infectious grin and shook his head. "Man, Oliver, you've got your hands full with this one."

"Tell me about it." Oliver laughed.

"Well, you can't say I didn't warn you." Clark chuckled, leaning back in his chair. Kara threw him a playful glare and turned her attention back to his daughter.

"You see what I have to put up with here huh Phoebe? Your daddy is so mean to me."

"I am not."

"Who am I kidding? She's biased anyway, even at ten days old, in her eyes, daddy can't do anything wrong." Kara laughed.

"You catch on fast." Clark winked.

* * *

After Oliver paid for their meal, much to Clark's annoyance since he'd said it was his treat, Lois had decided to go gift shopping and had dragged Kara with her, leaving Clark with Phoebe and Oliver back at his apartment.

Clark frowned, rocking his sleeping little girl in his arms as he watched Oliver pace around the living room. He looked like a caged tiger.

"Oliver, are you gonna tell me what's bothering you? You've been acting weird all day."

Oliver paused and glanced over at Clark, then went over to his mini bar and poured himself a small whiskey.

"Want one?" He offered, smiling when Clark shook his head. "Okay, here's the deal Clark. I need to talk to you about something." He said seriously as he sat down opposite Clark.

"What is it? Is something wrong with Kara?"

"No, it's nothing like that. I uh, I got a call this morning from an employee at Luthorcorp. He's been doing a little digging for me, keeping an eye, so to speak, on Lex. I wanted to keep a track of anything he might be up to."

Clark sighed, knowing that when it came to Lex, he was always up to something. "What did he find?"

"Nothing."

"Huh?" Clark was confused. If Lex was up to nothing, why was Oliver so stressed out?

"Well not nothing. But nothing _here_."

"I don't follow."

Oliver drained his glass and stood up to pour himself another. "Lex is gone Clark."

"What? Where?" Clark was stunned, he hadn't expected Lex to just disappear, no matter how much he'd wished for it.

"I don't know. All I know is, he cleared up his last remaining bits of business and told the board that he was relocating somewhere else."

"When did this happen?"

"Last week sometime." Oliver sat back down, but his eyes were now focused on Phoebe. "Clark, he's up to something."

"Look I know what Lex is like, I'll be the first to say that I wouldn't trust him with anything but…maybe he's just…gone." Though Clark didn't believe that, and judging from the look on Oliver's face, he didn't either.

"No, he's got something up his sleeve. The question is what. Clark, he's already tried to get to Lois and Phoebe, if he finds out that Kara's pregnant too I…"

"Hey, nothing's gonna happen to her…"

"She's losing her powers Clark. She's not gonna be able to protect herself for much longer."

Clark leaned forward in his seat, his eyes locking onto Oliver's worried ones. "Oliver, I promise you I won't let anything happen to her or the baby. For now we just have to be on our guard. We can't really do anything else."

"Yeah…I guess." Clark frowned, Oliver's face was very dark, revealing nothing. But Clark feared that if anything happened to Kara, Oliver wouldn't hesitate to take Lex out for real this time.

"Oliver, don't go there. You've already been there once and you nearly lost your wife because of it. Don't make that same mistake again. We don't take lives, we protect them."

"Even if it means that people like Lex get to walk around free?" Oliver spat.

"Yes. Because we're not murderers Oliver. That's not what we stand for, we're better than that. You know that in your heart. All we can do is protect the people in Lex's path."

"I hope your right Clark."

Clark let out a relieved sigh, feeling as if he'd just dodged a bullet. "I hope so too."

As his cell phone started ringing, Clark handed Phoebe over to Oliver, who actually smiled when he took her, and answered it.

"Hello."

"Mr Kent?" A woman asked.

"Yes?"

"I'm calling from Metropolis General Hospital. It's regarding Helen Carter. Your contact information was in her details."

Clark grimaced, there was only one reason she would be calling him. Helen was dead. Oliver had brought in a team of top doctors to help Helen, but one by one, they'd only been able to tell him that they didn't think she was going to come out of her coma.

Feeling awful for the way he'd treated her when he'd thought she was guilty, Clark closed his eyes. "When did she die?"

"Die? You misunderstand me sir. Helen woke up about an hour ago…"

**_To Be Continued..._**


	40. Chapter 39

_**Chapter Thirty Nine  
**_

"So what do you think?" Kara asked with a grimace as she stepped out of the changing room. Lois, who was sitting in the chair opposite stood up, crossed her arms and tilted her head.

"I like it. I think Oliver will too," she said, throwing her cousin-in-law a wink. "In fact, he's gonna love it."

"Do you think it's really _me_ though? It's not exactly something I would wear Lois." She glanced down at the little black number she was wearing. It was a gorgeous dress, Lois thought. Strap-less and form-fitting at the waist, with a puffy A-line skirt that ended just above the knees, it made Kara look so different. Elegant, yet sultry.

She walked over and smoothed the frilly skirt out a little.

"And that's the point. Look, being pregnant is a wonderful thing, but these early stages can make you feel a little…well, sort of robotic. The same routine of getting up each morning feeling more tired than when you went to sleep, throwing up all the time, eating something and hoping that you'll finally be able to keep it down just for a few hours. It's not pleasant but it's there nonetheless. So buying something to make yourself feel a little better about yourself is just what the doctor ordered."

"I am gonna be able to do this right aren't I Lois?" Kara asked, staring Lois straight in the eyes, her face suddenly very serious.

Lois chuckled. "I doubt even you can wear this dress wrong Kara."

"You know what I mean."

"Yes I know, and I'm choosing not to answer because it's a ridiculous question. When it comes to something like this, we don't know what the right things are. We just have to take each day as it comes and deal with things when they happen. There's no right and wrong, only experience. I mean look at me, I messed up big time last week, I should've been thinking about my family and I didn't."

"You shouldn't be so hard on yourself about that Lo, it wasn't your fault."

Lois shrugged her shoulders. "I know, but still…"

"You know something? I hope that I'm the kind of mother that you're becoming."

Lois smiled and smoothed some hair away from Kara's shoulder. "I don't even know what kind of mother I am yet Kara. Phoebe's only ten days old."

"I do…you're a fantastic mom. It's not about how many diapers you can change, or how often you feed or bathe her. It's in your eyes. Whenever you look at that little girl, I can see how much you truly love her. Unconditionally. Heck I can _feel_ it when I see the two of you together, there's a special bond. And when she's older…"

"Oh God, don't even get me started on the teenager thing yet Kara."

Kara held up her hand, stopping her rant before she could even get started. "When Phoebe's older, I have no doubt in my mind that you'll be there every time she needs someone to turn to, to talk to. And you're gonna be great at that too."

Lois pursed her lips. "How can you possibly know that? Unless seeing into the future is one of your abilities now."

Kara chuckled. "No but that would be awesome wouldn't it? No, the reason I know is because, well, you've helped me so much. Living here, on this planet…" she whispered. "being with Oliver, it was a little scary and sometimes I didn't know how I was going to do it. I didn't think I'd be able to integrate myself that well. Always fearing that I would do something stupid that would not only put my life in danger, but Clark's too,"

"Getting married was terrifying but I never let it take over me because of you. You are a big part of the reason that I am who I am today. Clark may be my real family, but you're my sister. You've always been there for me and I just know that Phoebe is one lucky girl to have a mom like you."

As her eyes began to sting with unshed tears, Lois turned away. She didn't get far though before Kara grabbed her shoulders and pulled her into a hug. "I love you Lois, I don't get to say that enough."

"I love you too Kara." She pulled back and cupped her sister's face. "And you know that I will _always _be here for you. Whatever you need. You're not alone in this, I'll help you as much as I can okay?"

Kara nodded, tearing up herself. There was a slight pause, the she spoke in a low voice. "I'm scared Lois."

"There's nothing to be scared of sweetie, you're gonna be just fine. I was scared when I first found out I was pregnant, I didn't know what to expect, but things turned out okay in the end. Emil said everything was okay this morning didn't he?"

Kara's eyes bored straight into Lois' and she could see the fear in them. "Yes things are fine but that's not what I meant. I'm scared because I'm losing my powers. Gradually, day by day, they're disappearing and I don't know if they're all gonna go or what but…" She paused, taking in a deep breath. "What if I never get them back? What if I can't protect my baby?"

"Kara, you don't need powers for that. Sure they're helpful but you'll be surprised how strong the instinct to protect is when it kicks in."

"But what about Lex?"

Lois rolled her eyes. "Lex Luthor can kiss my…look, we can't know what's going to happen with baldilocks. But he won't get a chance to get near you and the baby, or Phoebe. Clark and Ollie will see to that." Lois grinned. "We didn't marry superheroes for nothing you know."

"I guess so. I just don't want anything to happen to _my_ family." Kara said, giving Lois a meaningful look that said she meant not just her and Oliver, but the Kents too.

"You're too much like Clark sometimes. He worries too much too." Lois smiled and returned to her seat. "Okay, now let's get back to the reason we came in here huh? I still have to find something for Clark for Christmas, I can't think of anything. I'm seriously struggling with this one Kara."

"Well, what do you think he'd like?"

"I don't know, I can't exactly buy him a pair of socks. Ugh! Why is this so hard?"

Kara shrugged. "I think you're putting a little too much pressure on yourself Lois. Come on, you're a journalist, get those creative juices flowing."

Kara laughed as Lois let out a groan and turned to look in the full length mirror. "So I look okay?"

"You look amazing. Make the most of it, soon you won't be able to fit into the thing."

Kara let out a bark of laughter as she turned around to see the back of the dress. "I can't wait. I wonder how the guys are getting on with Phoebe."

Lois' cell phone started going off and as she glanced at the screen, she grinned. "Look's like we're about to find out." She flipped it open. "Hey Smallville good timing, what's…?

She paused, listening to Clark's ramblings. "What? When? Right, okay. Yeah sure, we'll meet you guys there right away."

She hung up and turned to Kara. "Go get changed, we have to get to the hospital."

"Is everyone okay?" she asked, a look of dread on her face.

"Everyone's fine. It's Helen…she woke up."

* * *

Clark paced back and forth in the corridor of the intensive care unit, gently rocking his grumpy baby girl in his arms. She'd woken up on the way here and he hadn't been able to settle her since. She couldn't be hungry because Lois had only fed her about two hours ago and she was warm and dry so he didn't know what was wrong. Maybe she was just picking up on the atmosphere. It was very tense.

"Hey," Oliver said, walking up to him.

"What did they say?" Clark asked, Oliver had gone in to talk to the doctor twenty minutes ago.

He looked at Clark and shook his head, a puzzled expression on his face. "They don't know what to call it but…she's fine. They think she's going to make a full recovery. All her vitals are normal, she's even sitting up and talking. They're simply amazed but they say that sometimes this does happen. Maybe Helen felt she had too much to let go of."

"Maybe. Can we see her yet?"

"Uh yeah, the nurses are just getting her comfortable and then we can go in." he replied.

"Oh I called Lois and Kara, they're on their way."

"Good." Glancing down at Phoebe, Oliver smiled. "Hey missy, what's all this noise for huh? Wow, you certainly got your mother's lungs didn't you?"

Clark laughed, switching his position from holding her in his arms, to holding her upright, flat against his chest, that usually worked best. He was right, within a few moments, Phoebe quietened, her ear pressed to Clark's chest, right over his heart, and just stared outwards at Oliver.

"Can I uh…?" Oliver started, nodding his head down at Phoebe.

"You wanna hold her?"

"If I may?"

Clark smiled, wondering why Oliver was being so polite about asking all of a sudden and as he handed Phoebe over, he saw Oliver's hands shaking ever so slightly. Was he nervous? Nah, he'd held her plenty of times before. Why should this be any different? Maybe it was the fact that he was now going to become a father himself, Clark knew firsthand that that knowledge kind of changed your perspective on things.

Oliver mimicked Clark's holding position, but Phoebe was reluctant to settle in the new pair of arms right away. She let out a soft cry, and scrunched up her face.

"Oh-oh, that doesn't look good. Here…" Oliver moved to hand her back but Clark just held up his hand.

"Wait a second Oliver, give her a minute. She likes being held by you."

Oliver scoffed. "She likes being held by anyone."

"Not true, she isn't crazy about Perry." Clark laughed, remembering the few times that Perry had held her. She'd cried the whole time and only stopped when she'd been passed back to him or Lois. Clark guessed it was because Perry was kinda gruff, but then on the other hand, she absolutely adored the General. He just couldn't figure it out.

After a few moments of Phoebe looking like she was about to wail and Oliver nervously waiting for it, Clark chuckled when she eventually fell still and settled against his chest.

"See? You're doing great." Clark said and Oliver looked at him with the biggest grin he'd ever seen.

"Mr Queen? Mr Kent?" A young nurse with curly black hair walked up to them, smiling. "Would you like to see Mrs Carter now? She's ready to receive visitors."

"You go in first man, I got this." Oliver said, taking a seat on the row of chairs lining the wall.

"You sure?"

"Yeah," he said, smiling down at Phoebe. "we'll be fine won't we Phoebe?" Phoebe cooed and focused her eyes on Clark as he dropped a quick kiss on her head.

"Okay, I won't be long."

Oliver nodded and as Clark followed the nurse down the corridor, he shifted Phoebe so that she was sitting on his knee with his hands supporting her back and head, facing him. He took a moment to study her, and as she waved her arms about, he caught a hold of her hand. She gripped his thumb tightly.

He could see so much of both Lois and Clark in her. Her dark brown hair was immensely thick and her eyes were the bluest blue. She was quite simply…adorable. He'd never felt that emotion when looking at babies before, he always assumed that would never really be him. To be someone's dad. But now…well, things were different. He was different, since he'd married Kara. She was his everything.

And now they were going to have a child together and he couldn't be happier. He found himself wondering what his baby was going to look like. Would he or she look more like Kara, or him? He didn't care, either way as long as both of them were safe and healthy, he didn't mind in the slightest.

"You know something Phoebe? You're an incredibly beautiful little girl. Special too." He sighed contentedly and leaned back in his seat. "You know, you're gonna have a little cousin soon. Would you like that? Someone to play with who's just like you. Cos I know that life isn't gonna be very easy for you considering who your dad is. There may be times when you feel a little lonely, or out of place but you'll have a little cousin you can relate to on that subject. And my hope is that my daughter…or son, will be perfect, just like you. But I want you to always remember something…"

He stopped for a moment as a couple of nurses walked past, each smiling down at him and then whispering to the other about how sweet he was once they'd passed. He didn't pay them much attention, his was focused solely on the little angel in his arms.

"Even though you have the luckiest parents in the world, I want you to know that anytime you need anything, your Uncle Oliver will always be there to help you. If you ever want to spend time with your aunt and me, you can stay over," he grinned. "maybe even have a sleepover with your cousin. But just know, that your dad and I will make sure that nobody ever hurts you. Even though you've only been in our lives a short time, you've brought a lot of happiness to all of us Phoebe, and we all love you."

For the briefest moment, Oliver thought he was seeing things. Phoebe was lying completely still, listening to his every word, eyes glued to his, but the corners of her mouth were tilting upwards. She was smiling at him. "Huh, guess you do like me after all." he said with a small chuckle.

"Wow, that was…" His head snapped up to see Kara and Lois standing over him, watching him with watery eyes.

"Kara, Lois…I was just…um," He frowned, not really knowing what to say, feeling caught out. Kara chuckled and sat down next to him, taking one of Phoebe's hands in hers as she leaned in and kissed Oliver with a tender passion.

"So where's Clark?" Lois asked when they'd finished their current PDA.

Without taking his eyes off Kara, Oliver replied. "He's in with Helen."

Lois sat down on the other side of him and reached out for her daughter. "Come here sweet pea, let's give your uncle and aunt some time alone."

As soon as she was in her mother's arms, Phoebe's attention was diverted to her chest and Lois chuckled. "Hungry again? You must have inherited your father's appetite. I guess we should go and ask the nurses where I can feed you and then we can go find daddy huh?"

Leaving the two love-birds to it, Lois stood up and headed for the nurses station.

* * *

After the nurse had shown him to Helen's room and promptly left to take care of someone else, Clark slowly closed the door behind himself, staring at the figure in the bed opposite. For a woman who'd spent the past ten days in a coma, she looked remarkably healthy. She was sitting up, bright-eyed and smiling at him.

"I'm so glad you came Clark. I wasn't sure you would after our last meeting…"

"Listen Helen…" he said, taking a seat next to her bed. "I said a lot of things to you, things I shouldn't have said when I'd though that…" Helen raised her hand.

"Clark it's okay really. I don't blame you in the slightest. I mean with my track record I can see why you would think that I was the one who'd given that stuff to Lex but…I swear to you on my life and honour that I didn't."

"And I believe you." He smiled, truly willing to accept that she was innocent.

"You have no idea how relieved I am to hear you say that." She closed her eyes and sighed. "Do you have any idea of who _is_ responsible?"

Clark shook his head. "No, not yet. But I think it may have been the person who kidnapped Lois. Toby had a criminal record and there was only one person I could see that would have the power to erase all his files."

"So where is he?"

"He disappeared, along with Lex."

Helen's smile fell. "Lex is gone?"

"Yeah, I just found out. Oliver said that he left and is leaving the running of Luthorcorp to his assistant."

"That's not the Lex we know Clark. He's up to something."

"I know, I just don't know what yet." But he didn't want to talk about Lex, just the mention of his name was enough to make Clark angry so he decided to change the subject. "So how are you feeling?"

"Pretty good actually, you know considering I was shot. Still getting some pain but it's okay. How's that little girl of yours?"

Clark grinned. "She's great, we called her Phoebe."

"Aw, that's such a pretty name. How's Lois?"

"She's fine, adjusting to motherhood. Listen Helen, I want to ask you something."

When he paused, Helen shifted in her seat and leaned a little closer, trying not to move too much. "What is it Clark?"

"Well, I know what I said was pretty harsh but…we still need a doctor for Phoebe. Oliver hired another doctor, Emil Hamilton…"

"I've heard of him. He does great work." Helen replied, but Clark thought he could see a trace of sadness in her eyes. She thought he was replacing her.

"But the thing is, you helped bring Phoebe into this world and Emil may be a great guy but I want someone who knows the history of Lois' pregnancy and…I guess what I'm asking is, would you still continue to be Phoebe's physician?"

Helen's eyes widened for a second and then she smiled. "You still want me to do that?"

"Yeah, but there will have to be a few conditions. I want you to work closely with Emil, because we're gonna need the both of you."

"Why, what happened?"

"It's not really my place to tell you but Oliver will soon enough."

"Oliver." She sighed and leaned back against her pillows. "Is he still angry with me?"

"He was, but I think he's slowly coming around. He still doesn't trust you Helen," Clark didn't want to upset her, but he had to tell her the truth and if he was honest, his newfound trust was fragile too, so easy to break. "I'm not entirely sure if I should either, but I'm willing to go on a little faith."

"I see," she said, sombrely. "Well like I said, I can't blame any of you for that. But I want to try and make it up to you all. Especially you and…" There was a light knock on the door and then Lois appeared, carrying Phoebe.

"Lois." Helen finished, looking over at the woman with wary eyes.

There was a moment of silent tension, during which Lois stared at Helen with assessing eyes, as if trying to judge whether the woman was trustworthy or not. Then she looked at Clark and her gaze softened.

"Hey Smallville," She walked inside and sat down in the seat Clark had vacated. He leaned down and placed a quick kiss on her lips and then gently took Phoebe from her arms when she was offered. The little girl was now fast asleep.

"Lois…" Helen started, but stopped when Lois' gaze whipped back around to her. "I uh…"

"How are you feeling Helen?" Lois asked, her tone neutral.

"I'm okay, you?"

"I'm good. Had a rough few weeks but…everything's okay now." Then she leaned in, really close. "I want to ask you something and I want you to give me an honest answer."

Clark watched as Helen grimaced and he knew what was coming next. Clearly so did Helen.

"Did you give my files and blood to Lex Luthor?"

Helen stared her straight in the eye, unflinching. "No. I didn't. I wouldn't. I swear on my husband's memory that I would never betray you like that. You and Clark were so good to me when you didn't need to be and I'm so grateful that I had the chance to work with you and help you."

Lois waited for a few moments, taking in the information. Then she smiled. "Good. Cos I can't have a doctor that I can't trust, you understand? Phoebe is too important to me, I won't _ever_ let anything happen to that little girl."

Helen nodded. "I understand that Lois but I promise you, you have nothing to fear from me."

"I hope not." she replied, then with a satisfied sigh, she turned to Clark.

Clark smiled at her, loving her more and more with each passing moment. She was so fiercely protective of their daughter. _And she thought she'd be a bad mother_, he scoffed. When she nodded her head towards Helen, he knew what she was asking so he moved over to the side of the bed and leaned down, holding Phoebe out.

Helen backed up a little, looking nervous "Are you sure?"

Lois smiled. "Helen, you're a big part of the reason that she's here today. I want you to meet Phoebe Tamarah Kent." Helen reached out and took her from Clark, cradling her softly against her body. Smiling down, Clark saw a tear escape from her eye.

"Are you alright?"

"Hmm?" She looked up at him and smiled widely. "Oh I'm fine. Better than fine, actually. She's so beautiful. I never had the chance to have this with my husband. And I never will. Lex made sure of that."

"Maybe sometime in the future…" Lois offered.

Her steely gaze met Lois'. "No, there's no one else for me Lois. I met my soul mate and he was taken from me. Maybe I deserved it…"

"Don't say that." Clark said. "No one deserves to die." He glanced over at Lois. "Or have the one they love taken from them."

Helen drew in a deep breath and continued. "Maybe I deserved it because of who I was in the past. But I'm done paying for past mistakes. I want to look to the future." She looked back down at Phoebe. "And she is the future.

**_To Be Continued..._**


	41. Chapter 40

**_Chapter Forty _**

"Are you sure? They don't exactly look…right." Lois said to Martha as they stood in the farmhouse kitchen, bending over the tray inspecting Lois' batch of Christmas cookies.  
_Cookies? Yeah right, more like black rocks_, Lois thought with disappointment.

It was Christmas morning and though Lois could hardly believe it, she was up early -like the crack of dawn early- baking cookies with Martha while Clark was having a lie-in.

Superman had been so busy the previous night that she'd decided he needed the rest. He hadn't gotten home till the early hours of the morning and when he'd finally crawled into bed next to her, she'd woken a little to find that he'd gathered her close, holding onto her so tightly, as if drawing strength from her. Obviously something had happened, he only did that whenever he wasn't able to save someone.

That was her purpose, she realised, to catch him when he was falling, to show him the kind of love he needed to believe existed in order to do what he did. Phoebe was a big part of that love too. He was never sad around her, she was the only person on this planet who could coax a smile out of him so easily at any given moment.

Sighing, she made a face at her cookies. Not even Shelby dared to eat one, much to Lois' chagrin, the golden haired pooch turned his head away when offered one. Martha squeezed her hand reassuringly, but the woman's eyes were crinkling with the laughter she was barely holding in.

"I'm sure they'll be…delicious, Lois…" Give the woman her dues, Lois thought. She was certainly trying hard. Looking at each other, they both burst into laughter.

"Okay, so batch number four goes in the garbage. Ready for another round or do you need a break?" Lois asked, as she tipped the tray of burnt, pebble sized rocks into the trash.

"I'm game if you are." Martha said, with a wink.

"Maybe I should just leave the baking to the professional. I'm never going to get it right."

"I refuse to believe that Lois. Besides, its easy once you know how. You just have to keep practicing."

"Hmm, maybe. But the main event of today is all on you. With a _little_help from me of course." Martha laughed and turned back to the counter to gather more ingredients.

"So what time are the others coming?" Lois asked, washing the tray.

"I told them between twelve and one. That way we'll all have time to open our presents, spend time as a family before the extended bunch get here and then we'll all have dinner."

"Excellent." Lois sat down and started mixing some more dough, though it was turning out a little runnier than she'd planned.

Culinary skills -or lack of- aside, Lois was having a fantastic morning. She was happy, because everyone she loved was going to be in the same place for an entire afternoon.

Well almost everyone.

Lucy wasn't able to make it due to last minute rehearsals and her father had been sent on a mission somewhere overseas, which sucked, but Lois was used to that. Growing up on a military base and being the daughter of a three star General, meant that Lois hadn't had the chance to enjoy a lot of family time or dinners at home, so this was something she intended to make the most of, a memory that she could treasure.

Because pretty soon, they weren't going to be living at the farm. She and Clark were planning to look at a few apartments in Metropolis after the New Year. She wondered what Martha would do when they moved, and then stopped the thought when she felt bad for leaving her alone here.

No matter how much she insisted that she was fine with it all, Lois suspected that Martha was feeling more emotional about their moving then she was letting on.

"So did you finally decide what to get Clark?" Martha asked, glancing over.

"Kind of…" she grinned.

Martha regarded her quizzically. "And you're not going to tell me are you?"

Lois smiled and tapped her nose. "All in good time Martha, all in good time."

Martha shook her head and chuckled, then began to hum a little tune as they worked and Lois hadn't realised that she'd joined her until Martha called her name.

"Huh?" Snapping herself out of her happy daze, Lois looked over to see Martha watching her with a big smile.

"I said, don't you think it's time Clark was up? It's nine-thirty. It's not like him to sleep so long."

"I was letting him sleep in. He looked so exhausted last night, I don't think it was a very successful night for Superman." Martha nodded, understanding in her eyes.

"But I guess he wouldn't want to waste today of all days in bed so I'll take Phoebe up and wake him."

"Okay sweetie."

Nestled against her shoulder, Phoebe never even stirred as Lois made her way up the stairs and into their bedroom. She paused for a moment just inside the door, watching her husband as he lay sleeping. He was so…beautiful. His broad naked chest rose and fell with each breath he took and it was strangely mesmerising to watch.

And even when asleep he exuded that sex appeal she could never resist. It was like some sort of invisible force that pulled her towards him. She crossed the room and sat down carefully on the bed, reaching out with one hand to smooth some of the hair off his forehead.

Smiling to herself, she leaned over and placed her daughter on her stomach across his chest. Phoebe whined a little, her eyes opening just slightly, but then she found a comfortable position, her ear over his heart and was soon lulled back to sleep by it.

Lois didn't know how long she lay there, her head propped up on one hand, staring down at her family as her other hand ran in gentle circles over Phoebe's back. Slowly, Clark began to stir from his slumber, his forehead creasing in a frown as he registered a light weight on his chest.

Without opening his eyes, he smiled and Lois guessed that he already knew what the weight could be because both his hands came up and encircled their baby girl, holding her protectively. Lois' breath caught in her throat, it didn't matter how many times she saw them together, each time she watched Clark with his daughter, it was a new experience.

He tilted his head towards her and opened his eyes, his sleepy gaze falling on her face. "Hey."

"Hey," she replied.

He inhaled deeply and smiled. "You smell like freshly baked cookies."

"Yeah, hmm well actually _my_cookies are currently taking up residence in the garbage but your mom has more in the oven so we're all set for the day."

"I'm sure yours would've been delicious too Lo." Laughing, he wiped something off her forehead. "How did you manage to get flour up here?"

She shrugged and laughed. "No idea, you should know by now I can manage the impossible."

"True, you put up with my double life so that's…" He trailed off as he looked down at Phoebe, who was wriggling slightly in his grasp. "And good morning to you too my baby girl." He raised his head a little to kiss the top of her head and then turned and captured Lois' lips in a sweet chaste kiss.

She frowned. "I don't _put up_ with your life Clark, I _live_it with you because I love you and I wouldn't have it any other way."

He nodded and smiled but didn't take his eyes off Phoebe and Lois wondered what was going through his mind. He seemed so melancholy this morning, a total contrast to the Clark she was used to.

"Hmm, this is a nice way to wake up. With my two favourite girls."

She smiled at him and caressed his face. "How are you this morning?"

He obviously got her meaning because he frowned. "I'm okay."

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

She was shocked when tears suddenly appeared in his eyes but he blinked them back, refusing to let them fall. Instead he focused his attention on the sleeping child on his chest, running a very tender hand over her thick hair.

Lois turned his face back towards her. "Hey, what is it?" she asked softly.

"Nothing."

"Smallville…"

"I don't really wanna talk about it Lo. I just want to spend today with my family. It is Christmas Day." His eyes asked her not to push the subject; he would tell her when he was ready.

She watched him for a few moments, then nodded. "Okay, just…whenever you're ready, I'm here."

He smiled appreciatively. "I know, and thanks."

Leaning over, she kissed him once more before getting off the bed and crossing over to her drawers to retrieve something.

"What ya got there?" he asked as she made her way over to him with something held behind her back.

"It's just a little something I wrapped for you. It's not much and you know that I suck at getting gifts for people and you, Clark Kent, are a very hard man to buy for. I mean what exactly do you get for a man who can fly? Anyway this isn't your real gift, that one will come later, this is just a warm-up, kind of."

He grinned. "Lois…"

"Yeah?"

"You're rambling sweetie."

"I know but I really just want you to like it…oh here. Merry Christmas." She thrust the present towards him and watched with eager eyes as he started opening it.

His smile brightened when he saw what it was. "Where did you find this?"

"In a box of my old stuff. I'm not even sure why I kept it all this time. It's not really a gift as such, it's just…I thought it would remind us of a time when even though I thought of you as a friend, deep down -really deep down- I always knew you were more than that."

He kissed her forehead. "Thank you, I love it. I didn't know what it meant back then but I do now."

"You really like it?" she asked, still a little unsure. It wasn't even a real gift, it was only the mixed cd she'd made for him all those years ago when she'd been on that lipstick love stuff. But she thought it would be a nice idea.

He reached up and cupped her cheek. "I really do. Thank you."

His chuckle caused Phoebe's eyes to open and as she glanced down, Lois knew what was coming next. The little girl frowned, balling her tiny hands into fists before eventually letting out the inevitable wail that signalled her displeasure at being woken up.

Clark sat up, leaning against the headboard and positioned her in his left arm with her head on his shoulder, swaying her gently from side to side as Lois sat back down.

"What's the matter sweet pea, you hungry?" she asked, leaning in close to Phoebe.

"I don't think that's it Lo." Clark chuckled, his nose wrinkling up.

Then the smell drifted over to Lois and she immediately pulled away. "Oh my God, how can something so horrible come out of something so sweet? I think that one's a job for Superman." When he raised his eyebrows she said. "What? You're the one with the super breath, just hold it for a while."

Clark laughed as he got out of bed and crossed over to Phoebe's changing table, laying her down gently as he pulled faces at her in an effort to get her to stop crying.

"You know what today is Phoebe? It's Christmas Day, your very first one. It's exciting isn't it, and mommy and I have lots of presents for you. Right mommy?"

"Right. And grandma, and all your aunts and uncles too. They've spoiled you kiddo." Lois replied, laughing.

"Ah but she's worth it, aren't you baby girl?" Once she was clean and dry and in a fresh diaper, Lois saw her little face light up as she stared at her dad.

"She really loves you, you know." Lois murmured as she walked over, standing next to him, resting her head on his shoulder.

He grinned as he picked Phoebe up. "Well that's good because I really love her too. I can't remember what my life was like before the two of you."

"Boring?" Lois offered with a cheeky smile. It had the desired effect, Clark grinned back and lowered his head to kiss her.

"Quiet." he replied, dodging the punch she threw at his arm. Chuckling, he walked over to his nightstand and fished something out of the drawer.

"Merry Christmas Lois," he said, handing her a small but very neatly wrapped package. "And just so you know, I do have more to come."

"You didn't wrap this did you?"

He actually looked offended for a split second before smiling. "Yes I did actually. The small things I'm okay with, it's the large presents I have trouble with."

She tore into the wrapping paper to reveal a dark blue velvet box. Opening it, she saw the most beautiful silver diamond ring she had ever seen.

"Is this…?"

He stepped closer and took it out of the box, placing it on the ring finger of her right hand. His voice was low and soft as he spoke. "It's an eternity ring Lois. I know you don't do jewellery, but I saw this and I thought…_we are_eternity, I know you don't need trinkets to tell you that but…" The suddenly vulnerable look in his eyes stole her breath.

"Clark."

"Yeah?"

"You're rambling." She cupped his face with both hands and stood on the tips of her toes to kiss him. "I love it, thank you. And you're right…we are for eternity."

As he wrapped an arm around her waist, she leaned her head against his chest, facing their daughter who was happily watching the exchange between her parents with silent interest.

Clark shifted them against him a little, reaching out behind her to do something and then she heard the soft sounds of a Whitesnake ballad fill the room. She looked up into his eyes and smiled. "I really love you Clark Kent."

He swallowed hard before speaking, the emotion making it hard to speak. "I really love you too Lois Lane-Kent. So much."

* * *

As Clark began to sway his two girls to the soft music, neither of them were aware that Martha had just come up to check if everything was okay. She stood in the doorway watching her son and his family, lost in the moment, and she was crying.

Clark's cheek was resting against his daughter's head as he held her upright against his chest, and Lois was nestled in the crook of his neck, one hand holding Phoebe's, the other wrapped around her husband. The perfect family, Martha thought.

**_To Be Continued..._**


	42. Chapter 41

_**Chapter Forty One**_

Clark entered the farmhouse a little later that morning carrying more wood for the fire that his mom always liked to keep burning on a cold winter's day. Setting it down beside the back door, he turned towards the laughing female voices near the stove.

"That's it, I give up!" Lois said, wiping her brow as she stood up.

"They're not that bad Lois. At least they're not black this time, you're getting better. I think this batch may even be edible." Martha said with a hearty laugh that Clark had missed hearing. He hadn't heard her laugh like that since before his dad died and it didn't escape his notice that it was his wife that was able to bring that happiness back into the house.

Before he could say anything, Lois turned to him with a smile that warmed his chest. "Hey, I was wondering where you'd gotten to."

For some reason, Clark found that he couldn't reply. The words were there in his head, but they just wouldn't come out of his mouth. Instead he found himself cupping her face in both hands, then planting a kiss on her. Right in front of his mother too, which normally he wouldn't do. He always tried to be discreet around her. But he just needed to kiss his wife right now, to feel her lips against his.

"Wow, that was some hello." she murmured as he pulled back.

"Sorry, I just had to…"

She narrowed her eyes as she placed her hands over his. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine Lois." He smiled and walked into the living room, bending over a sleeping Phoebe's cradle briefly to place a loving kiss on her head and then sat back down in the kitchen.

"I went to see Helen."

"Oh yeah? How's she doing?" Lois asked, scooping some of her cookies onto a plate.

"She's doing really well actually. I felt bad that she was alone on Christmas Day so I thought I'd spend a little time with her."

"And that is why I love you." Lois kissed the top of his head before placing a plate in front of him. He looked down at the cookies and he knew when Lois scowled that his grimace wasn't as hidden as he'd planned it to be.

Cautiously, he picked one up and popped it into his mouth. He had a hard time chewing it, but it didn't taste all that bad. She_ was_ getting better.

"You don't have to look like you're being given poison there Smallville." she said, as she moved over to throw them in the trash.

She looked up again when she heard Clark snicker quietly. "What?"

"Nothing. It's just…I've never seen you try to bake before, Lo."

Slightly indignant, Lois pouted. "So? Doesn't mean I can't start now."

"Oh I have nothing against it. But why the sudden urge?"

"Because I wanted to do something nice for everyone today but it's…"

When Lois turned her nose up and shook her head, he laughed. "That bad huh?"

"I don't know what you're laughing about Clark Kent. You're the only one around here with a stomach of steel, I can't exact that kind of torture on our daughter so guess who'll be my guinea pig for years to come."

Clark's smile soon fell and Lois grinned. "That's right Kent, just think, years and years of my good old home cooking."

He looked over at his chuckling mother. "Do you think food poisoning is a strong enough argument for a divorce?"

Both Lois and Martha each smacked his shoulders. "Clark! Don't even joke about that." Martha said seriously, but she was smiling.

"I was just kidding." He pulled Lois' hand, bringing her in close, and pressed his lips to hers. "You know I wouldn't want to be without you."

"Hmm, I may need some convincing now." Lois said against his lips, pretending to pout.

"Later," He promised, with a wink and he saw her cheeks flush crimson.

* * *

"Are you sure you're okay Kara? You barely touched your food." Martha asked as she and Clark began clearing away the dishes from the table.

Kara smiled shyly and looked at Oliver, who smiled in return. It was time to tell them all. She'd been looking forward to this since she'd found out, but having Lois and Clark being the only ones who knew had helped her adjust without too many people speaking their mind about it.

"Well I've been a little sick recently." she replied, holding tightly onto Oliver's hand.

Martha sat back down next to her, her face a mask of concern. And why wouldn't it be? She knew that Kara and Clark never got sick. Ever. So therefore, in her mind, something had to be wrong. She glanced over at Lois, who was holding Phoebe. Lois smiled and nodded in encouragement.

"I'm pregnant." she whispered.

Martha did a double take and then her face lit up into a massive smile so wide that Kara thought her face was going to split.

"That's wonderful news!" She grabbed Kara and pulled her out of her chair, wrapping her up in a big hug. "Congratulations sweetheart." She pulled back, eyeing her cautiously. "It _is_ good news isn't it?"

"Well we certainly think so." Oliver piped up, standing only to get pulled into a hug with them.

"I just can't believe this. Two babies in the family, two! This is the best Christmas I've had in a long time. I'm so happy for you both."

"Thanks Aunt Martha." Kara replied, she knew that Martha loved it when she called her that. As tears began to form in Martha's eyes, Chloe and Jimmy stepped up to give their congratulations.

Martha turned to Clark and Lois. "You two knew didn't you? And you didn't even let on at all."

"It wasn't our secret to tell mom."

She swatted his shoulder. "I know that, and I would've been surprised if you had told me. No, this was for Kara and Oliver to tell me." She pressed a hand to her heart. "Oh, my family. You can't know how happy I am right now."

"We have a pretty good idea mom." Clark grinned, taking the last of the dishes out.

"Well that's two down, one to go." Martha said, winking at Chloe who raised her eyebrows in shock.

"Me? Honestly Martha, we haven't even thought about having kids yet." Kara chuckled at Chloe's obvious discomfort of the subject.

"Well you know Chloe, they do say that things happen in threes. First Lois, now me. You'll be next."

"Trust me, that day is nowhere near." Jimmy gave her a look. "What? I didn't say that I was against the idea. Look, we'll talk about it later okay? Now…" She clapped her hands together. "Who's up for a game of something?"

"Poker?" Lois offered and frowned when everyone groaned. Even Phoebe let out a little moan that had Kara laughing.

"I can't even rely on my own daughter?" She looked over at Clark. "This is your fault Smallville."

"What did I do?"

"Our two week old daughter is too smart for her own good."

"Lois, I very much doubt she knew what you were talking about. Did you sweetie?" He asked as he lifted her out of Lois' arms.

Kara watched him as he bounced her lightly, pressing one of her palms against his mouth and blowing a raspberry. Then something happened that had them all dropping their jaws. The tiniest of sounds, so beautiful, emerged from Phoebe as she smiled up at her father. It sounded like…

"Did you just hear that?" Lois gasped. "It sounded like she…"

"I think she just laughed. Only a little but it was there." Clark replied, clearly as awed as everyone else. "Did you just laugh at your daddy? Can you do it again?" He repeated his actions, but nothing happened. Phoebe just smiled at him.

"Oh well, guess it was fluke." Lois said. "She can't even hold her own head up yet Smallville, I don't think she's ready to laugh just yet."

Martha put an arm around Lois' shoulders. "Oh I don't know sweetheart, she's clearly her father's daughter. By the age of six Clark was solving math problems that even Jonathan and I needed a calculator for."

"Seriously? That smart?" Lois said, giving Clark a disbelieving look.

"Hey, I'll have you know that I am very smart." He defended.

Lois grinned and pulled his head down for a kiss. "Well, you did marry me, so I guess you can't be that dumb."

Kara laughed along with everyone else and leaned back against Oliver as he wrapped an arm around her waist, his fingers lightly brushing her stomach. This was where she belonged, she decided. With her family, people who loved and accepted her without condition. _This_ was her home.

* * *

Later that evening, after everyone had left and darkness had fallen, Lois stood outside on the porch, with a steaming mug of chocolate in her hand and a blanket around her shoulders. She stared down at the frame in her other hand. The picture of her, Clark and Phoebe that Jimmy had taken and given to them as a gift.

It was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen in her life, the only comparison being the real thing, and she hadn't been able to stop staring at it all afternoon. She marvelled at how truly talented Jimmy was with a camera.

She breathed in the night air, feeling the crisp coldness hit her lungs. The house was quiet. Martha was upstairs bathing Phoebe because she'd wanted to do it, and Clark was out on another call. She hoped he was okay.

Today had been a fantastic day, one filled with laughter and love but just underneath the surface, she could see that Clark was troubled by something. He had barely let go of Phoebe all afternoon, as if he hadn't wanted to let her go and Lois hoped that whatever had happened the previous night, hadn't been what her mind was thinking up. The thought was too awful to bear.

She looked down as she heard the sound of claws clicking against the wood, and smiled at Shelby.

"Hey boy, where have you been? Been chasing that bird again? He does love to tease you doesn't he?"

Shelby whimpered at her as he sat down at her feet, pressing his head into her leg. He glanced towards the back door so Lois opened it to let him in and as soon as he was inside, he was heading straight for the stairs. Lois knew where he was going and she chuckled to herself as she closed the door and resumed her earlier position.

Shelby was still so protective of Phoebe that it was bordering on obsession. He'd gotten a little worse since he'd been drugged and Lois had been kidnapped. If Lois didn't know any better she could swear that the dog was just like Clark, blaming himself for her being taken when he should've been protecting her.

So now he was more vigilant with Phoebe. He never let her out of his sight. No matter who was holding her at the time, he kept his eyes glued to that person and followed them everywhere. Except with Lois. Whenever she was with Phoebe, Shelby made it very clear that he was watching over them both.

Even when Clark came near them he was watching closely. That was one smart dog, Lois thought. Clark had told her about the tests that Luthorcorp had performed on him years ago and while he seemed like a perfectly normal dog, his actions said otherwise.

She felt a breeze, strong and fast, come in from behind her so it wasn't a surprise when she felt two strong arms encircle her waist and pair of lips pressing against the back of her neck.

"What are you doing out here, it's freezing?" He asked softly. She turned in his arms, and looked up at his smiling face. But the haunted look was still there in his eyes. And she needed to get him to talk about it.

"I was just thinking. Did everything go okay?"

He nodded. "Yeah, burglaries are more common this time of year. I guess thieves think it's a free for all with all the presents lying about." He kissed her forehead. "Come on inside, its too cold out here."

"In a minute. I wanted to show you something."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, come with me." She took his hand and led him over to the barn.

When they were up in the loft, Clark used his heat vision to light a couple of candles and then he shot a large blast into the room, heating it up instantly. That man was so sweet, her comfort was one of the things that was always on his mind.

She shrugged the blanket off and headed over to the window. She grabbed his hand as she opened up one half, and wrapped it around her waist. Leaning back against his chest, she gazed out at the night sky.

"Its beautiful isn't it?"

She shivered as she felt his lips against her ear. "Yeah, you can see all the stars tonight."

"What happened last night Clark?"

She felt him stiffen.

"I don't really wanna talk about it Lo."

"Why not? What happened that was so bad that it put that look in your eyes?"

"It's nothing, really. I don't wanna ruin the day we've had."

She turned around. "Talk to me Smallville, I'm here."

He took a deep breath, keeping his gaze on the sky so she cupped his chin and turned his head towards her.

"Clark, please…"

He closed his eyes and sighed. "I found a newborn baby girl behind a dumpster. She was freezing Lois, her little lips were blue, she was only wrapped in a little blanket. If I hadn't been passing over I don't think anyone would've heard her, she was so quiet. I think she'd been there a while. I took her to the hospital but the doctors don't know if she's going to make it or not."

Lois felt her heart drop, he'd been carrying this around with him all day, putting on a happy face. It killed her to think he'd been going through this alone. And it certainly explained his behaviour with Phoebe all day.

"She was just abandoned?"

"Yeah, looked like it. I just don't understand it Lois, how could someone do that?"

His expression was so pained that she couldn't bear to see it. "Most of the time, this usually happens because it's a young girl who's gotten herself into trouble and doesn't know where to turn to. I'm sure she's regretting it Clark. But maybe she needs help too,"

"I know and I did try looking for her, I didn't find anything or anyone, but I hated that I couldn't do anything Lois. I'm used to fighting the bad guy, to stopping a natural disaster or two. But this…" He shook his head.

"I just can't understand this. She was so small, defenceless. If I hadn't found her…" His voice trailed off and Lois knew what he had to be thinking.

It was a little close to home considering he had a baby girl of his own. But she knew that he would still be taking it this hard even if Phoebe wasn't in his life. This wasn't something he could fight, or use his powers to help.

It was something in a long list of things that he was having to come to terms with. That the human race was flawed and that evil did exist in the world. But as Lois thought of all the good he'd done as Superman, she knew that they were not beyond saving.

"The police are conducting an investigation and the hospital are on the lookout for her. They said that this wasn't an uncommon thing to happen around this time of year."

"I guess not." Lois replied, wrapping her arms tightly around him, offering comfort the only way she knew how. Contact. Sometimes words just weren't enough.

"You couldn't have done any more Smallville. You do know that right?"

"Yeah, but I just felt so useless in there."

"I know, but because of you, she has a fighting chance. That's more than she had before you found her. Be glad of that."

She raised her head to see him staring down at her with eyes that told her more than his words could right now. He was hurting, but he would be okay.

"Are you okay?" She asked, feeling hopeful that he was when he raised his hands to cup her face.

He smiled briefly before lowering his mouth to hers, claiming it in a heart-warming kiss. "I really love you Lois."

"I love you too Smallville."

His eyes fell on the frame that she'd placed on his desk. He walked over and picked it up, sighing at the image in front of him. Lois watched as he traced a finger around frame. "This is beautiful. I don't know how he did it, but Jimmy managed to capture everything in this picture. The way the light shines in the room, the glint in your eyes. You look so proud…"

"So do you." Lois replied, glancing over his shoulder. The picture of the three of them in the Kent's living room would forever remain her favourite.

"I am." He smiled. "She's precious."

A few moments passed with the two of them simply staring at the photo of what seemed to be the perfect family, then Lois gently took his hand and led him back over to the window.

"I think now would be the perfect time to give you your main present."

His eyebrows flickered as he smiled. "Oh? I did wonder what it was that had to wait until after dark."

She chuckled and elbowed him in the ribs. "Get your mind out of the gutter Smallville…"

"I can't help it. You bring it out in me."

Ignoring his teasing, she stood in front of him and wrapped his arms around her waist so that they were both looking out at the sky.

"You love stars right Clark?"

She turned her head a little to see him frowning, as if he thought it was such a random question.

"Uh yeah, you remember I had that telescope all those years."

"Ah yes, your Lana spying device." She laughed.

"Hey…" He tried to defend it, but then realised that she had a point so he shrugged instead. "Well anyway, yes…I've always loved looking out at the stars. When I was younger, I used to look up at them and I always felt this pull, as if something was trying to get my attention. It wasn't much longer after that that I learned I was from Krypton."

Raising his hand with hers, she pointed to where Krypton used to be. "Right there?"

"How do you know that?" He asked, surprised.

Her lips curved. "Because I learned a lot from Kara when she was helping me."

"To do what?"

"You see that star that's right next to where Krypton used to be?" He nodded. "Do you know what it's called?"

"No, I don't think it has a name."

"Oh but it does." She half turned in his arms, and caressed his jaw. "It's called Kal-El."

His eyes widened a little as realisation set in. "You…you did that?"

"Mm-hmm. It's all official too. I had it named after your Kryptonian side because well, I thought it would be perfect. Kara told me that the name Kal-El means 'Star Child' and I don't know, I guess I wanted you to have a piece of the sky. I'm not saying this very well…" She trailed off, suddenly feeling like it was a silly idea to begin with. He just kept staring at her, as if he couldn't figure out why she'd done this.

"But what I mean is, I wanted you to have something tangible to look up and see. Something that is yours and yours alone. I guess it's also kind of a tribute to the planet that you were born on, since it isn't there anymore. My way of letting you know that there is still a piece of you up there. And…yeah, I'll just be quiet now."

Clark continued to stare at her in awe, he just couldn't believe that she had done something so incredibly sweet and thoughtful. And unique. He never saw this coming. But she was right, it was a perfect gift and it showed how much she really loved him.

Not just Clark Kent, but Kal-El too. She embraced every single part of him and he didn't know how to even begin to say thanks. His heart swelled with love so strong that it nearly floored him. This remarkable woman, had given him something he hadn't known he was missing until now.

He hadn't looked through his telescope in years, hadn't tried to find any sign of what was once his home planet. But now he had something he could look for. Turning his head, he looked up at 'his' star. And it was even more special because he knew that whenever he looked at it from now on, it would always remind him of her. His wife, the mother of his child, the love of his life.

"Perfect."

"What's that?" Lois asked, and he realised he'd whispered the word. He looked down at her, and was momentarily frozen in place by the immense love shining in her eyes.

"It's perfect Lois. How did you even think of doing something like this?"

She shrugged nonchalantly. "I can be quite resourceful when I put my mind to it."

He knew she was cracking a joke, but he was still too stunned to laugh. Tenderly, he stroked both her cheeks, kissing the tip of her nose. "You don't know what this means to me Lo."

"So you like it?" Was she crazy? Had she honestly thought he wouldn't?

"I love it. No one's ever done anything like that for me before. For Kal-El."

"But you _are_ Kal-El. You're Clark Kent and Kal-El. Those aren't different people Clark, they're just two sides of the same coin. And I love you completely."

Suddenly unable to stop himself, his lips came crashing down on hers, taking her mouth in a fiery kiss. "God I love you so much."

As Clark began kissing his way down her neck, his hands making fast work of removing her clothes, Lois smiled to herself. She'd given him something that he loved. It didn't come in a fancy box with lots of wrapping, but it came from the heart.

And it was something that would last a lifetime, along with her love for him.

**_To Be Continued..._**


	43. Chapter 42

_**Chapter Forty Two**_

"Okay, I think that's it." Lois stood back, hands on hips, surveying her surroundings with a satisfied smile. "No wait, put it there."

She waited for Oliver to move and then nudged Martha's arm. "What do you think mom? Does that look okay?"

"Lois honey, this is your home now. You need to decide where you want things to go, I can't tell you."

"I know, it's just that…well your opinion means a lot to me."

Martha tilted her head and smiled. "Well in that case, I think it would be perfect over by the patio doors. But it's your choice."

Moving Day was a lot more work than Lois had anticipated. But Martha, Kara and Oliver had been kind enough to offer their services. Jimmy and Chloe had too but Jimmy was out of town on an assignment and Chloe was stuck at Watchtower and despite Lois' assurance that it was okay, Chloe had informed her that she would get there the second she finished later on.

Lois wondered sometimes if maybe Chloe was a little jealous of the relationship she had with Kara, especially now that she was pregnant. But she didn't want to bring the subject up in case she was wrong.

"You're right, it would look great there." She glanced at Oliver who was shaking his head and before she could even ask him, he was lifting again.

He let out a sigh and moved the cabinet over to where she was pointing. "You know, not that I mind doing this Lois but shouldn't your husband be, oh I don't know, helping with this stuff?" he grunted. "He could practically lift the whole house so remind me why I'm the one with the aching shoulders."

"Stop griping Ollie, you know Clark's out on a call." Kara said from the doorway, with a squirming Phoebe in one arm and lunch for the adults in the other. "And I offered to help but you wouldn't let me."

Oliver straightened up, gave his wife a kiss and cooed at Phoebe. "What kind of husband would I be if I let my pregnant wife lift all this heavy stuff?"

"I still have some of my strength you know."

"And I am not taking any chances." he replied, with a quick peck on the lips to stop her from retaliating. Kara rolled her eyes and handed Lois the bag whilst bouncing Phoebe in a bid to settle her.

At three months old Phoebe was looking more and more like Lois everyday, which made Clark happy. Her dark brown hair was growing and starting to curl a little at the ends and she was now smiling constantly. But her eyes, those blue eyes that were so like her father's were still just as bright. She was such an adorable baby, everyone who'd met her had told them so and Lois was incredibly proud of her.

"Do you want me to take her?" Lois asked, noticing how wriggly her daughter was.

"No it's okay, I got her. Besides, its good practice right?" Kara laughed.

At just over four months pregnant, her baby bump was bigger than Lois' had been. It was definitely noticeable. Helen had performed the same tests that she had on Lois and she and Emil had reached the same conclusions. She couldn't hear or see the baby because Kara's body was still too strong.

Though all her other powers had now faded. Jor-El's answer to that had been speculation that it was a result of 'mating' as he'd put it, with a human. Whereas Lois' body had needed to become stronger to carry a Kryptonian child, Kara's body needed to, from what Lois could understand, become weaker though still retain some of its strength in order to carry a child of her own species.

Total opposites in pregnancy but the nerves were just the same as Lois remembered. So Kara was now under the care of Helen and Emil, Oliver's doctors, and also Jor-El.

"Okay that's it. I'm not moving it again." Oliver said, holding his back dramatically as he stood up.

Lois rolled her eyes and shifted it around until it was in just the right place. She was practically beaming she was so happy. It had taken them longer than they'd planned but they had finally found a place in Metropolis that they'd both fallen in love with.

Just downtown from the Daily Planet, it was in the perfect location too. But the real bonus was that they'd managed to find a house instead of an apartment and Lois knew as soon as she'd looked around that this was their new home.

She set the food out on the counter in the kitchen, glancing out of the window. The garden had been the selling point for her. She'd had visions of Phoebe and any other children they might have, playing on swing sets and running around on the grass kicking a ball around. They wouldn't have had that in an apartment and realistically, an apartment was not a place to raise a family.

Feeling a breeze on her neck as her hair flew in her face, she turned to see Clark stepping through the back door, already back in his normal clothes.

"Hey, just in time, lunch is here. Are you hungry?"

He caught her chin between his thumb and forefinger and kissed her mouth softly. Then he stepped back and took the plate she was offering. No matter how long he'd been gone, a day or an hour or even a few minutes, the first thing he always did when he returned was kiss her.

"Starving, thanks. How's Oliver getting on?"

Lois laughed. "I think he's about ready to quit."

"How much has he brought in?"

"A lot. The TV cabinet, the chairs and dining table."

"Uh-huh," He grinned, pulling her into his side with one arm. "And what did you bring in?"

"I helped," she said, shrugging sheepishly.

"Uh-huh." Clark chuckled, he knew her all too well.

"It's not my fault your daughter decided she was hungry while Oliver was bringing the heavy stuff in."

"Is this a private party or can anyone join in?"

Both Lois and Clark turned their heads to see Kara wrestling with a grumpy looking Phoebe. "Sorry, I tried to get her settled but she just keeps crying, I think maybe she's tired."

"Well she certainly can't be hungry yet." Lois chuckled, taking her from Kara. "Aw it's okay sweetie, you're just tired aren't you, huh? Been a big day for you hasn't it?"

"Its two o'clock in the afternoon." Kara pointed out.

"Which for a baby, is a long day." Lois replied, unable to settle her either. Clark stepped up and bent his head down and almost as soon as her eyes met his, Phoebe stopped crying. Just like that.

It never failed to amaze Lois how close the bond was between father and daughter. Phoebe certainly was a daddy's girl. She handed her over to him and watched as he walked around the kitchen, swaying her gently back and forth like an expert and within minutes, she was fast asleep, her head resting in its usual place, above his heart. Lois was sure it was the rhythm of Clark's heartbeat that knocked her right out. It seemed to sooth her.

"How do you do that?" Kara asked, her face awe struck.

Clark glanced over, his face beaming with pride and Lois was willing to bet that he didn't even know he was doing it. He always looked at his daughter that way. "I honestly don't know. I just do it. Guess being a dad agrees with me huh?"

"I'll say." Kara said, her hands resting on her bump. "I hope I'm like that with my baby."

Lois flung an arm around her shoulders. "You will be. There's nothing like being a mother, isn't that right Mom?"

"Hmm?" Martha asked as she walked into the kitchen with Oliver in tow. "Oh definitely."

"Ah, the big guns are back. Maybe now we can get this house sorted a little faster." Oliver quipped, raising an eyebrow at Clark who simply laughed in response.

"Absolutely, but first…" Clark picked up his burger then frowned. He looked over at Kara and studied her for a moment.

"Something wrong sweetheart?" Martha asked, noticing the way he was staring, which of course got everybody else's attention too.

"Uh, no everything's fine."

They stood there waiting for more to come so when he didn't say anything else, they all carried on with their lunch. But there was no fooling his wife, she knew him too well, she was watching him with those eyes that missed nothing.

"What is it?" she asked quietly, leaning in so no one else would hear.

"I'm not sure, I think I heard…listen can you do me a favour? Can you persuade Kara to come to the fortress with us? Just tell her we're going to get Phoebe checked out or something."

"Uh, sure I guess. But nothing's wrong with her is it?"

He shook his head and gently passed his sleeping daughter back to her mother. "No I don't think so. But I just want to be sure."

* * *

"Lex?" A quiet voice broke him out of his reverie. It was very peaceful here, and he hadn't realised that until a few months ago when he'd left Metropolis, he'd needed the solitude more for himself than part of any plan.

He turned away from the patio windows and looked at his doctor. Lisa was standing just inside the doorway of his living room with a newspaper in her hands, watching him curiously. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I was just thinking about things."

"Oh?" She raised a brow in question but she knew that Lex would not answer her. She had become a companion of sorts over the past few months but their association rarely went beyond doctor/patient status.

Though given the way she looked at him sometimes, he'd be willing to bet that she wanted more. That knowledge made him feel a little less like Frankenstein's monster. He couldn't imagine that many women could be turned on by his facial scars.

But it was a redundant thought, he had no time for women. Not right now anyway. No, his plan had to come first and the time was coming to make his move. He smiled as he thought of the white picket fence lifestyle Clark and his little family were no doubt living now, a life that would soon be turned upside down. This was not about revenge, no. If he wanted revenge on Clark he would've had it already. No, this was about something more important.

"I brought you today's Daily Planet, I thought you might be interested in the headline."

He reached out and took the paper she was offering him. When he didn't look at her, she shifted restlessly. "Would you like some coffee or anything else?"

"No, thank…" He trailed off as the bold print practically leapt off the page. As he stared at the headline, the cogs in his brain started working overtime, with surprising results. He glanced up at Lisa, smiling. "Well, well. Looks like little Phoebe isn't going to be the only heir to an alien legacy. Seems our good friend Mr Queen and his lovely wife are expecting. Isn't that just the most wonderful news."

The look on his face was no doubt what had made Lisa take a tentative step back. And with good reason, she had seen that look before.

"Where's Toby?" he asked.

"He's still in his room. He won't come out, he just sits staring at her photograph all day. I've tried to get through to him Lex, I really have. But I'm not a qualified psychiatrist and he needs proper care."

"Maybe we can use his infatuation to our advantage." Lex said, stepping back over to the windows again. "I knew I kept him around for a reason."

He glanced out at the acres of empty land he had recently acquired. Living on the down-low was harder than he'd thought and though Lisa was the best physician money could buy, he was sure she resented the secretarial duties he'd placed on her too.

But since it was just the three of them, and Toby was useless, she had to play her part. She was in too deep to just walk away now and she knew it. But he wondered, maybe that wasn't her sole reason for staying with him.

"What do you mean?" she asked, he could feel her standing right behind him. He turned around, and traced his fingers down her cheek. For a split second her eyelids fluttered closed.

"Bring him to me later, I want to talk to him. But for now, I have a meeting I need to get to."

Confusion furrowed her brow. "A meeting, but you said we were…"

"I know what I said and that still applies Lisa. But this meeting is important. A loose end that needs to be tied up." As a knock sounded out on the front door, Lex smiled. "That will be him. Show him in would you? And then get us some coffee."

She hesitated for a moment, staring at him. "Lisa, please. I know this isn't an ideal way to live right now, cut off from everyone and everything but you know that it's important. We can't be found, not yet. Not until I'm ready."

Her unease only seemed to grow so he calmly grasped her shoulders. "I promise that it will all work out and when it does, you'll get your reward. All your wishes will become reality, I'll make sure of it."

She drew in a deep breath. "I just don't know if we're doing the right thing anymore."

"A little late to be developing a conscience isn't it? You knew what you were signing on for Lisa, you can't back down when the going gets tough."

Lisa drew in a breath but when she looked back up at him, he was met with the steely resolve he'd always seen in her.

"That's my girl. Now, why don't you go and answer the door." he said, an order not a request.

She nodded and excused herself and Lex took the few moments alone to collect his thoughts. A new plan started to form in his mind. When she knocked again he was sitting behind his desk. She entered, with a male behind her, his face guarded.

"Thank you Lisa, you can go now." She glanced at Lex, then at the man who'd followed her in and then she left.

"So," Lex began, offering him a seat. He took it, but kept his eyes on Lex the whole time. He didn't trust him, that was fine, he didn't have to. The guy Tess had hired all those years ago to kidnap Lois' father had much to fear from Lex.

"Daniel, tell me, what have you been up to for the past two years?"

* * *

"So is Phoebe okay?" Kara asked as they stepped inside the fortress. Since it was Clark, Lois, Phoebe, Oliver and Kara, he'd taken them to the Kawatche caves and transported them here via the key.

"Yeah she's fine. Jor-El just wants to do a little check-up that's all. On her and on you."

"Kal-El my son." Jor-el's booming voice called out. "This is an unexpected visit. And you have brought guests."

"Yeah, I was hoping that you would do a check-up on Kara and Phoebe." Clark replied, looking nowhere and everywhere at once. He never quite knew where to look when he was talking to his father. The voice seemed to come from all around him, not from any one direction.

"Is there something wrong?"

"No, everything's fine, I would just like to be sure that's all."

"Very well, place the child on the table." As Lois moved forward to lay Phoebe down on the crystal table that was surprisingly soft despite its looks, Clark bent down on one knee and kissed his daughter's forehead.

"It's okay baby, mommy and daddy are right here." He stood back up and wrapped his arms around Lois as a bright, warm light began to shine around Phoebe, not on her, but encircling her. No matter how many times they did this, he knew it always made Lois a little uneasy and nervous.

Phoebe, for the most part, was happy enough, kicking her little legs energetically and smiling away. It was almost as if she liked the light.

Then as soon as it began, it was over, the light had vanished and Jor-El's voice rang out as Lois picked her back up.

"All is well my son. Phoebe is growing remarkably well. She is perfectly healthy, strong, a true descendant of the House of El."

"Thank you Jor-El." Lois called out, cradling Phoebe against herself.

"You are welcome Lois. As the true mate of Kal-El, you are always welcome here."

"Thank you." Clark said, he didn't know why but that statement meant a lot to him. Jor-El recognised that his family on earth were just as important as his destiny.

Kara was next on the crystals. She laid down, holding Oliver's hand. As the light began to shine again, Clark took the opportunity and tuned his hearing in, listening hard for the few moments that Jor-El was performing the tests.

"Kara, how do you feel?" Jor-El asked as Oliver helped her down.

"I feel fine, what is this all about?" She was frowning in confusion but Clark could see a hint of worry in her eyes. He walked over to her and smiled, taking one of her hands.

"Kara, there's nothing wrong. I just wanted to be sure before I said anything."

"Sure of what? Clark, answer me."

"Jor-el, did your tests find anything?" He yelled, keeping his eyes on Kara.

"No my son, Kara is perfectly healthy, as any expectant mother should be."

Clark shook his head, amazed that even with all the technology this fortress had, it still hadn't spotted it. He wasn't exactly sure why not either.

"Clark!" Kara snapped, pulling on his hand to get his attention. "You're really starting to freak me out now, what's going on?"

"I wasn't sure at first, I thought maybe I was hearing things but when Jor-El was performing the tests, I listened again and sure enough, I was right. Kara," He grabbed onto both of her hands and smiled. "You're not having a baby."

Stunned, she frowned warily. "What? But I am…"

"No, you're having two."

"Twins?" Oliver spoke up, his voice croaking under the shock.

Kara's wide eyes shot up to Clark's. "Are you sure?"

Clark nodded. "Yeah, I heard it, two little heartbeats. Twins."

Dazed, Kara sank down onto the crystal table again. "Oh my God, two babies Ollie. Two."

Oliver it seemed, couldn't speak anymore, so he did what he was only capable of in that moment. He pulled her to her feet and kissed her, with so much passion and adoration that Clark and Lois both had to look away.

Finally Oliver found his voice, and it was tinged with excitement as he lifted Kara and swung her in a circle. "We're gonna have two babies!"

** _To Be Continued..._**


	44. Chapter 43

**_Chapter Forty Three  
_**

Lex was on edge. His nerves were frazzled and although he tried to get a grip on his emotions, it was hard. Today was the day. All his planning would come to fruition, if those he'd placed his trust in could be relied on. He certainly hoped so.

He stood on the balcony of his home, looking out over the countryside, fields and fields lay out in front of him. The sun was shining strong, but the winter weather was harsh, making him stay indoors far more than he wanted. But it was necessary, this was what he had to do to get what he wanted. No, what he _needed_.

"Lex?" His doctor's voice interrupted his quiet time and she visibly flinched when he turned to glare at her. "I'm sorry for the intrusion but Daniel's on line one. He wants to talk to you."

"Thank you Lisa." he said, dismissal undeniable in his tone. Lisa nodded and walked out. Crossing over to his desk he picked up the phone.

"Daniel, I trust you have good news for me."

"Not yet, I'm outside the place now. Are you sure that this is a good idea?"

Lex smirked as he picked up the latest copy of the Daily Planet, which held details of Kara's baby shower. He wondered why Oliver had even allowed it to be printed, since ordinary people didn't have that kind of thing announced. But because Kara was a Queen, it was news to everyone and not even Oliver could stop the power of the press.

It was even accompanied by a tabloid photograph of Kara and Oliver, shopping. Kara's bump was undeniable so she really wouldn't have been able to hide it for much longer. He cringed at the look of sheer happiness on Oliver and Kara's faces.

"Is she alone?"

"Far as I can tell. But Lex…"

"No buts, get the job done or the police will be finding out about your involvement with Miss Mercer all those years ago. You seem like a resourceful person Daniel, figure it out. But make no mistake, I will not accept any errors from you. Got it?"

Daniel stammered nervously. "O…okay, I'll call you back."

"Yes, you will." Lex hung up and smiled, this was going to be great day.

* * *

"Little higher Jimmy." Lois said, directing Jimmy on where to pin the banner. He rolled his eyes and moved it across, waiting for Lois' approval.

She laughed quietly, bossing him around was always so much fun. The decorations for the baby shower were looking pretty good, and she was glad that Oliver had managed to book the entire Ace of Clubs for Kara's party. It was going to be a good one.

"That's better, thanks."

"Hey Lo, where do you want these?" Chloe asked, juggling a stack of presents in her arms. Since Lois had been the one to organise most of the arrangements, people came to her to ask for direction. Mostly, she thought, because of her military background, and her take no prisoners attitude.

"Oh, over on the corner table please, that way everyone will know where to put theirs when they come in."

"Okay."

As Chloe walked off, Lois took a look around, very satisfied with everything. Martha was in charge of the food, for which Lois had tried to offer help but Martha had refused, stating that Lois had enough to worry about. And she'd been right.

Chloe and Jimmy were helping her but the crew that Oliver had hired were in charge of decorating the whole room. Both colours, pink and blue, since no one knew what sex either of the twins were. Clark was at home with Phoebe because Lois didn't want her to get too tired so he would bring her when the party started. Oliver was at work, but he'd promised that he would be here in time.

She clicked the button on her headset as her phone started ringing. "Hello?"

"Hey Lois, how's it going?" It was Kara. Kara, sounding very excited. But then Lois supposed that this was her first ever baby shower, it was pretty exciting even for a human, let alone for a Kryptonian who hadn't had these experiences before.

At just over five months pregnant, it was an exciting time for Kara. She was feeling well for the first time in months, and even though she was now relatively powerless, she was constantly happy, even during all the things that weren't so much fun.

"It's going great, you are going to have one hell of a party. Where are you?"

"I'm at home. And I'm bored. When can I come?"

"Not yet, we agreed three o'clock okay? You just sit tight and do…something. I promise you won't regret it."

Kara chuckled. "With you in charge, I know I won't. Listen," Her voice took on a serious note. "I wanted to say thanks Lois. You've been so wonderful these past few months, I don't know what I would've done without you."

Lois chuckled as she started pottering around with the contents of the presents table, rearranging them so they looked neat. "Well, since I don't plan on going anywhere, you never have to find that out do you? So just sit back, relax, and be here at three."

"Yes ma'am." Kara laughed and hung up.

"Lois," She switched her headset off and turned to see Clark walking towards her with Phoebe in his arms and her diaper bag on his shoulder.

"Hey, is everything okay?" she asked as he handed Phoebe over.

"I have to go, there's an emergency. I'm sorry, I know you have a lot to do here but…"

"Hey, don't worry," she kissed him quickly. "Go save the world Smallville."

He winked at her and then ran out of the room, leaving Lois standing there holding their daughter.

"There goes your daddy," she murmured, wincing as Phoebe grabbed a handful of her hair and giggled.

Lois couldn't get enough of that sound, it was the most beautiful sound in the whole world, as far as she was concerned. And Phoebe was such a happy little baby. At four months old, she was already doing things that other babies weren't ready for yet. She was laughing, giggling, sitting upright without any help.

Lois knew that she was a little more developed than other children because of her genes, but she didn't want her to grow up too fast. It only seemed like yesterday that she'd given birth to her and she fit snugly in her arms.

"Hey, there's my beautiful niece." Jimmy cooed as he walked up to them. Phoebe loved Jimmy, he was almost always guaranteed to get a laugh from her. "Where's your daddy huh?"

Lois chuckled as he took her and watched the interaction, feeling so lucky that she had so much. A close family wasn't something Lois had grown up with after her mom had died, so having such a close knit one now was so amazing she couldn't put it into words.

"Dada." Lois froze, unsure that she'd heard right. It had been so quiet, so soft, she wasn't able to tell. But when she looked at Jimmy, who was staring back at her with wide eyes, she knew she had.

"Did she just say dada?"

Jimmy swallowed. "I think she did."

Lois took her again and sat down on one of the chairs, sitting Phoebe on her knee. "Can you say that again sweetie? Can you say dada?"

A few moments passed, with Phoebe focused intently on the necklace Lois was wearing, but nothing came.

"Huh, maybe she didn't-"

"Dada."

"Oh my God!" Lois shrieked. She wasn't sure if she was more shocked or happy but her voice had managed to bring Martha and Chloe running over.

"What? What's wrong?" Martha asked.

Lois looked up at her, tears in her eyes. "You won't believe…Phoebe can you say it again for Grandma? Say dada again, please,"

Martha gasped, while Chloe looked sceptical. "Lois, isn't she a little young to be…"

"Dada." That sweet little baby voice cooed, and then she laughed. Lois supposed the looks on all their faces right now were pretty funny to her. Chloe and Martha's jaws had practically hit the floor, something that Lois herself found quite amusing, and Jimmy was just shaking his head.

"Wow, how…I mean…when did this happen?" Chloe asked, stroking the little girl's brown curls.

"Just now, Clark dropped her off and…oh no!"

"What honey?" Martha asked.

"He missed it." Lois replied, her heart sinking. "Clark totally missed her first word. He's gonna be devastated."

"Yeah, oh hey, how about we don't tell him?" Chloe said, flinching at the looks she received.

"What?" Lois said, shocked that her cousin would even think such a thing.

Chloe held her hands up. "I don't mean keep it from him for bad reasons, I mean don't tell him. That way when she says it again, he'll think its her first word."

"Hmm, I guess that could work. I don't know…"

"Lois, you said it yourself, he'll be pretty upset that he missed it, especially since he was just with her. Just wait, see if she says it again."

"Chloe has a point sweetheart, there's nothing like that first moment." Martha agreed.

Lois looked back down at her daughter, who was back to playing with her necklace. Her heart swelled with love so strong it was almost suffocating. She remembered back to when she'd been afraid of having kids, that she would screw them up somehow, and compared it to what she was feeling now. She couldn't have been more wrong. She loved this little girl with her whole heart and nothing could ever take that away.

"Alright, I guess you're right."

* * *

Kara smoothed down her dress one last time and checked her reflection. Her bump was getting bigger each day, and at least she knew why she was growing so much faster than Lois had. She couldn't believe she was carrying two babies.

Scared as she was about the future and how she would handle two babies at once, she was so looking forward to it. She couldn't wait to meet them. Four more months and they would be here, in her arms.

She grabbed her purse and checked her watch, time to go. She was looking forward to this party, she'd never heard about these human customs before so to be experiencing them was a little weird but ultimately, she loved every minute of it.

Just as she got to the door, she heard a noise coming from the bedroom. It sounded like a scraping noise. Frowning, she walked through, knowing that she hadn't closed the curtains earlier, but they were closed now.

She paused just inside the doorway to turn on the light. She never got the chance, a hand gripped her arm roughly, its vice grip making her wince. She was dragged into the dark room and flung onto the bed. Within two seconds, something was stuffed into her mouth to prevent her from crying out for Clark and her hands were tied behind her back.

"Don't struggle, I don't plan on hurting you. But if you make a lot of noise I might be tempted to rethink that." A voice said in her ear.

He dragged her to her feet and secured her gag, there was no way she could get a sound out. She struggled with the ropes holding her hands together, and was relieved when she felt them snap under her strength.

She didn't give her captor a chance to realise what was happening as she pushed him backwards, sending him flying into the living room, crashing into the sofa. She took a few deep breaths, tried to calm her erratic heartbeat and ran for the door.

The only problem was, it was way across the other side of the living room. She ran as fast as she could, but without her speed, it wasn't fast enough and she was cornered before she reached it.

Her eyes flew wide open as she realised who she was staring at. _Daniel, Tess' little helper._

Panic welled up inside, had her clawing at her gag but he was faster. His hand balled up into a fist and came at her, but she ducked in time and he hit the wall. She tried to move out of his way but he grabbed her hair, making her cry out behind her gag, and then she felt something being pressed over her mouth and nose.

The smell was awful, it made her feel sick and dizzy. She fought and struggled for a few moments, but it was starting to slip away. Reality was blurring, making her fear spike.

The last thing she saw was Daniel's face hovering above hers, a menacing frown on his, and he was saying something but she couldn't make out the words.

Daniel watched as she slipped into unconsciousness. He hadn't wanted to used the chloroform on her, that was only a last resort. But man, she was a fighter. Almost as bad as Lois had been two years ago.

He took out his phone and dialled, waiting for Lex to answer.

"Tell me you have her."

"Yes, I do. The plane's ready right?"

"Yes, get to it. Now." Then the line went dead.

He picked Kara up off the ground, grimacing because she wasn't exactly light. He briefly wondered what Lex's plans were for her, but then decided that he was better off not knowing.

"Man, I gotta get a new job."

* * *

Oliver walked into the Ace of Clubs later that afternoon. He wasn't too late, about half an hour or so, he shouldn't have missed too much. He walked in slowly and was greeted by Clark.

"Hey man, where you been?" Clark asked, fiddling with his shirt collar.

He shook his hand then clapped him on the shoulder, heading for the bar. "I got held up at work."

"Well don't let Lois see you yet, she's…" Clark paused and looked around to make sure she wasn't near. "She's a little on edge right now."

Oliver frowned. "How come? The place looks great, she's done a great job."

Clark looked at him, puzzled. "Because you and Kara are both late."

Oliver's eyebrows rose. "What?"

"Yeah, she's been calling Kara but got no answer, she figured you two were…well, busy."

Warning bells started going off in his head. "Clark, I told Kara I would meet her here. I've been stuck in a meeting all afternoon."

Clark quickly understood what he meant and Oliver could see the second that his thoughts turned in another direction.

"Clark, she was coming here alone. I told my driver to pick her up but…what if something's happened?"

"Okay calm down, I'm sure everything's okay. She probably got held up with…deciding what to wear or something." Clark said, trying to be reassuring. "But I'll go over there and check okay? You stay here."

Oliver opened his mouth to argue, but closed it again, knowing that Clark was the faster option right now. He nodded and Clark sped off, just as Lois came into view.

"Oliver, what the hell is going on? You're late." She stopped in front of him and looked around. "Where's Kara?"

"I don't know. I told her I'd meet her here. Clark's gone over to check."

Lois' face darkened for a moment before she got control of it. "I'm sure she's fine Ollie…"

"She's gone." Clark said abruptly, appearing next to them, his face scared and angry. "There were signs of a struggle in your living room. Oliver, how could anyone get into your apartment?"

Oliver didn't reply, his knees had gone so weak he just sank to the ground. "There's only one person who would take her Clark."

"I know," Clark said, him and Lois kneeling down next to him. "But we're gonna get her back, I promise."

Oliver squeezed his eyes shut. "We were such idiots! We got complacent, Lex hadn't made a move in so long we thought…Dammit!" He yelled, catching everyone's attention. Martha, Chloe and Jimmy came over but stayed quiet.

Lois gripped his hand tightly. "This is no one's fault Ollie, and we will find her. You have to believe that." Her voice sounded as shaky as he felt and he realised that she was scared too. Because she'd been through it herself. She knew what it was like.

"She has no powers Lois, she's defenceless."

"No she isn't, she still has a little of her strength left. I don't think Lex is going to hurt her." she replied, but her face clearly didn't agree with what she was saying.

Lois and Clark shared a worried glance as he looked up at them. "He's got my wife Lois, Lex has my wife and my babies."

**_To Be Continued..._**


	45. Chapter 44

_**Chapter Forty Four**_

Kara woke up to darkness, the only light coming from a small window in the wall opposite her. She blinked a few times to chase away the grogginess, but she couldn't quite shake it. She felt awful, her head was pounding and her eyes were throbbing like they were about to fall out of her head.

As she tried to move, she discovered her hands and her feet were tied to the frame of the bed she was currently lying on. She tried to break free but for some reason, she couldn't.

"I wouldn't bother Kara." Kara froze as she heard someone speak in the room. She recognised that voice. But it couldn't be…could it? She squinted in the darkness, trying to see where it had come from.

"Helen?"

"Yes." came her quiet reply.

Kara's fear went up a notch, because if Helen was in fact working with Lex, she was really in trouble right now. Helen knew far too much about her and about Phoebe.

"Lex has hidden a small piece of Kryptonite in this room, not enough to hurt you but enough to keep you subdued."

"What the hell are you doing here?" Kara growled, her anger starting to win out against her fear.

"I know what you must be thinking Kara, but I promise that I had nothing to do with this."

Suddenly the lights went on in the room, blinding Kara momentarily. Slowly she opened her eyes, allowed them to adjust to the brightness, then looked around. It was a fairly large room, with grey walls and only one small window. It seemed to be some kind of basement. Where were they?

Helen was over in the corner, also tied to a bed with restraints that looked very painful if the blood seeping out from under them was any indication. Okay, so maybe she wasn't in on it, but it was still very coincidental that she was here at the same time as Kara.

"What's going on?"

"Interesting question Kara." __

Lex Luthor.

She would know that voice anywhere. She glanced towards the stairs, which led to the door he was standing just inside of. He was smirking at her and she wanted so badly to get up and knock that grin right off his ugly scarred face.

"Lex." she said, trying to keep her emotions in check. Getting stressed right now was not a good thing. She had to think of her babies.

"Well its nice to see you Kara, I have to say you're looking more beautiful than I remember." He sauntered down the stairs, slowly, staring directly at her as he took the steps one by one. "Pregnancy seems to suit you quite well, doesn't it?"

Kara flinched as his hand reached out and touched her belly. "Get the hell away from me Lex or I swear I'll-"

"You'll do what exactly?" He trailed a finger down her cheek, smiling. "You're not in any position to be making threats Kara. What? You don't think I planned for this? Took every precaution necessary?"

"Why?"

"Well, I have to admit that I was thrown for a loop when I found out you were pregnant. Up till now I thought there was only one alien baby on this planet and she was the object of my plans. But all that's changed now."

He walked slowly around the room, stopping at the little window on the other side, looking out. Kara knew that she was in a lot of trouble here, but a part of her was relieved that she was here and not Phoebe. At least she could handle what Lex threw at her, a little four month old baby would have no chance.

"What do you want Lex? You know Clark and Oliver will find me and when they do, you better pray that Oliver doesn't get to you."

"Why? Cos he might try to kill me again? Been there, done that. He wasn't man enough to get the job done right the first time around." He turned back to her and no amount of squirming could get her away from that cold stare. "Besides, Clark can't see through lead can he?" Lex chuckled, tapping a knuckle on the wall next to him.

_Oh no, he's lined the walls with lead._

"You're not going to hurt my child." she said softly, but with determination. She wasn't sure why, but she did not want Lex knowing that she was carrying two. She just knew it would be worse if he did.

"No, I'm not. I may be a lot of things Kara, but I'm not someone who would hurt an innocent child. Even if said child isn't even human."

"Leave her alone Lex."

"Ah Helen, long time no see." Lex said, turning towards her.

While his back was turned, Kara struggled with the leather straps that were holding her down. They wouldn't budge even an inch. Eventually, exhausted, she gave up. She needed to find out where he was hiding the Kryptonite.

The only problem was, she wasn't feeling ill as such, just weak, so it had to be a very small amount. It could be anywhere in a room this size. It was hopeless.

"Why are you doing this Lex? Have you spiralled down so far that you would kidnap a pregnant woman?" Helen asked, her voice full of contempt. "That's a whole new low, even for you."

Lex held his hands out in a mocking gesture. "Don't worry Helen, I'm not going to hurt anyone. In fact, the reason you're here is because I need your help."

Helen snorted. "This is your way of asking for help? Gotta tell you, needs a little work."

"Oh I'm not asking. You know Kara, you've studied her blood work and Clark's for a long time. You know about this pregnancy, you've helped to deliver an alien baby once already, so you will be of value to me. But don't take that to mean that I won't get rid of you if you don't co-operate."

"You've threatened me with that once before Lex and I told you then, there's nothing more you can do to me than you already have. You killed my husband, and had me shot too."

Kara saw the icy stare she was giving him and almost a hint of tears. She was remembering her husband, Kara thought, feeling a little sorry for her.

"Well, we'll see about that Helen." Lex said and turned back to Kara with a grin so wide it transformed his scarred face into something evil looking.

"I'm sorry about this Kara, truly I am. I actually did like you."

"What do you want?" she asked again.

"It's simple." He placed his hand on her stomach again and grinned at her. Kara's blood turned to ice as she looked into his eyes. "I want your baby. To raise as my own, and I _will_ have what I want."

* * *

"Is she okay?" Martha asked as Lois paced up and down in her and Clark's living room, trying to get Phoebe to go to sleep.

"Yeah she's tired but she won't give in. I think she knows something's wrong. And I think she's missing Clark. She always seems to know when he's not here and when he's been gone for a long time, she gets very unsettled."

"Are you okay?"

Lois shook her head and stopped pacing, turning to look at her mother-in-law. "I'm not sure. I just can't believe this is happening again. I thought all our kidnapping days were behind us. Why can't this family get a break?"

Martha stood and crossed over to her, rubbing Lois' arms reassuringly. "Kara will be fine sweetheart, she's strong and she's smart. And I agree with you, I don't think Lex is going to hurt her."

"Yeah well, I'm not so sure about that now."

"What would be the point? He obviously has a plan and that plan must include Kara's babies. So until they're ready to be born, I think we have a little time to find her and get her back. I just hope it doesn't take that long."

Lois sighed and sat down on the sofa, cradling her crying daughter close to her chest. "Clark and Ollie have been out there all day and there's no word. With the range Clark can cover, if he hasn't found any sign of her, then she is long gone."

The phone startled them both as it started ringing and Lois handed Phoebe over to Martha and went over to pick it up. Her hands were shaking, through shock but mostly from fear. She knew what it was like to be on the receiving end of all this and it wasn't pleasant. Kara must be so scared.

"Hello?"

"Lois, it's me."

"Chloe, did you find anything yet?"

"No, what's left of Lex's files are impossible to get into. He's been busy getting them protected like this." she replied, sounding dejected.

"Isn't there anything that Watchtower can do?"

"I'm working on it Lois. Are you okay?" Why did everyone keep asking her that? It wasn't about her. This was about Kara. Then it dawned on her, they were asking because she had been through it, and because they knew how close she was to Kara.

"I'm fine…well, I will be when we find her. What's he up to Chlo?"

She could practically see her cousin shaking her head. "I don't know Lois, but I'm not giving up, don't worry. We_ will _find her. In the meantime, you be careful."

"Me?"

"Lois, Lex has Kara and her babies, it doesn't mean he's going to stop there. I don't wanna scare you but you need to be prepared. He might come after Phoebe too."

Lois took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. "He won't get the chance, I'll kill him first."

"Just promise me, you'll be careful and do whatever Clark says? This isn't the time to be independant Lois, he knows what's best."

"I will, thanks Chlo." She hung up and turned to see Martha standing in the doorway with two policemen behind her.

Her stomach twisted painfully at the sight of them, two officers usually meant bad news. "Hey, have you found her yet?"

"Not yet Mrs Kent, we do have an update though." One of the officers, the nice one who was kinder than his partner, came over and gently urged her to sit down. He took a seat in the chair next to her while his partner stood behind him.

"What is it?" Lois asked.

"We ran a check on some fingerprints we found. They were on the doors that led from the bedroom balcony."

"How did he get up there?"

"We don't know yet. But the fingerprints snagged something in our database and we came up with a match."

Lois was practically screaming inside for him to just get on with it and tell her, but something about his expression made her wary. "Who is it?"

"Do you know a man by the name of Daniel Phipps?"

_Oh no. This can't be happening._ Lois' throat dried up, she couldn't speak. So Martha sat down next to her and put a supportive hand on her shoulder.

"We know him officer, he kidnapped Lois a couple of years ago. Almost killed her too. He was working with Tess Mercer but he was never found." Martha said and Lois briefly wondered how she could sound so calm when inside Lois was falling to pieces.

"Well it looks like he's found alternative employment. But there's nothing to suggest that Mr Luthor is involved."

"Excuse me!" Both Lois and Martha said at the same time, shocked.

The officer held his hands up to placate them. "I'm not saying he isn't, I would certainly believe it. But at the moment, we have no evidence. And until we do, I can't get a warrant to search his property."

"This is bull..."

"Mrs Kent, I assure you, I am doing everything in my power to find your cousin. I just have to ask that you be patient."

Lois opened her mouth to let him know exactly what she thought of him, but the look on his face stopped her. Something in his eyes told her that he knew exactly what she was going through so she let it drop.

Instead, she nodded, knowing that the police wouldn't find her. It was something Clark and Oliver had to do. "Just do your job and find her. Please."

**_To Be Continued..._**


	46. Chapter 45

_**Chapter Forty Five  
**___

High in the night sky, above the city of Metropolis, Superman had his ears tuned in to everything. He hovered in the air, listening to the sounds of life going on below him, praying that tonight would be the night that he would hear something that could lead him to his cousin.

Two weeks had passed, the police had no leads, Oliver was a wreck, and he was dangerously close to the edge himself. He hated feeling this useless. What good were all his powers if he couldn't find her? What was Lex doing with her? He quickly veered away from that thought, it couldn't lead to anything good.

Instead, he flew home to his wife and baby girl, who'd been staying at the farm since all this had happened. He knew this was having an affect on Lois too, she was very close to Kara. She hadn't even put up a fight when he'd asked her to stay with his mom for a while, which was unusual for Lois.

But he didn't want them alone. Lois was in danger now too, somehow, he knew that deep down.

He landed softly on the porch at the Kent farm and changed into his normal clothes. Lois was sitting at the kitchen table and as he walked in, she got up to hug him.

"You look exhausted Clark, and that's saying something even for you." she said, studying his face intently. He didn't reply, he just wrapped his arms around her and drew strength from the comfort only she could give him.

"You can't keep doing this to yourself, even you have your limits and I'm worried about you. You've been out night and day trying to find her."

"I have to find her Lois, we don't know where she is or what's happening to her." He pushed the rage back down and focused on his wife. But man, he really wanted to kill Lex for this.

"I know that, but even you need to sleep Smallville. Come on." She led him over to the sofa, sat down next to him, then drew him into her arms so that he was half lying across her chest. The steady rhythm of her heartbeat soothed him, but he couldn't afford to fall asleep.

"Oliver's a mess Lois. I've never seen him this angry or determined before. I'm not sure he's taking care of himself. I'm worried he's going to do something stupid. I have to get back out there. I just came back to check on you and Phoebe."

She pulled him back down when he tried to move so he gave up and let her hold him.

"You're not going anywhere. You need to rest, you're no good to Kara if you're burnt out. I don't care where you're from, or how strong you are, you're my husband and I'm going to make you rest, okay? I'll call Oliver later and check on him."

He tilted his head and looked up at her. Her hazel eyes were shining down on him with such love and concern and it was only then that he realised that she had dark circles under her eyes and she looked like she'd been crying.

"Lo, did you get any sleep last night?"

She shook her head. "Not really. But we're not talking about me right now."

He knew a deflection when he heard one so he let it drop. She was in protective mode right now and nothing he could say would change that. He loved that about her, that she was so there for him and only him. She wouldn't be distracted by anything other than taking care of her husband right now. How did he get so lucky to have her in his life?

He leaned up a little and kissed her. "I love you Lois."

She cupped his face and smiled. "I love you too. Why don't you try and get some sleep huh? You haven't slept in almost a week."

"I will, I just need to lie here for a little while." he replied, closing his eyes and snuggling deeper into her embrace. "Where's our baby?"

"Asleep, finally. She really doesn't like it when you're not here you know?"

"Sorry."

"It's okay, your mom eventually got her settled. I think she's picking up on all the stress and worry around here. She's been so grumpy today."

"Can't say I blame her." He paused, listening to Lois' heartbeat against his ear, absently threading his fingers through hers. "What is he doing Lois? Why Kara?"

She leaned her cheek against his head. "I don't know. Maybe it's not Kara he wants."

"The babies." Clark sighed, a sense of dread filling him. "If he hurts them I swear…I don't think I'll be inclined to stop Oliver from doing what I know he'll do."

"You think he'd…"

Clark looked up at her again. "I know he would. And I know it's wrong but then I think about you and what I would do if I ever lost you. If you were taken from me. Would I have the strength to not do…"

"Hey," she cut him off. "Don't talk like that. You're Superman, and Superman doesn't kill. No matter how much he may be entitled to. Scum like Lex Luthor deserve a worse punishment than that. And he'll get what's coming to him."

Clark laid his head back down, closing his eyes at the feeling of her running her fingers through his hair. It felt so good.

"I just can't believe he's got Helen too." Lois said.

"Does he though?"

"What do you mean?"

"What if we were wrong about her Lois? What if she has been playing us this entire time?"

Her fingers stopped. "That's…well, I guess she could've. But why now? She had a chance with me and Phoebe, why did she wait for Kara. Nobody even knew Kara was going to get pregnant so she couldn't have planned it."

"Maybe, maybe not. But I just think it's a little too coincidental that she disappeared at the same time Kara did. I'm not ruling it out just yet."

"Maybe Lex just kidnapped her too."

"As bad as this sounds, I hope so." Lois opened her mouth, obviously shocked that her mild-mannered husband would say such a thing but he held his hand up to stop her.

"What I mean is, she's gone too and although I want to believe that she's innocent, we don't have any idea of the truth. So I hope that she has been taken just as Kara has, because that means that she is innocent, and at least Kara has someone with her who can look out for her."

Lois frowned in thought. "Maybe."

They fell silent for a few minutes, the only sound throughout the house was that of the grandfather clock ticking away in the hallway.

Lois stared down at her husband as his eyes drifted shut. He was so exhausted, yet so determined to find his cousin that her heart actually broke a little for him. She continued stroking his hair until she knew he was asleep, then she settled back and tried to get a little more comfortable, Clark was a big man and he took up a lot of space. But she loved having him in her arms.

She jumped a little when her cell phone started vibrating in her pocket. She fished it out carefully, trying not to wake Clark, and glanced at the screen. It wasn't a number she recognised.

"Hello?"

"Lois?" A male voice said, a familiar male voice. "Lois, it's me."

Her eyes widened as she realised who it was. "Toby?"

"You remember? Wow, I thought maybe…listen, I need to talk to you." She grimaced at the memory his voice dredged up. In that apartment with him, heavily pregnant and scared out of her mind. It didn't even occur to her to question how he got her number.

"I have nothing to say to you…" she started, but then she saw an opportunity. If he was still as infatuated with her as he was before, maybe he would tell her where Kara was being held. Or at the very least, where Lex was.

"Please, please listen. It's about your cousin. I don't have a lot of time." he said urgently, cutting her off.

"Okay, I'm listening."

"Lex has her. He's holding her captive in the basement of a house."

"Where's the house Toby?" she asked softly, carefully so as not to spook him. But her heart was starting to beat faster.

"I'm not sure, he didn't tell me where we were. All I know is that it's close to a big river. I can see docks out my window. He's been holding me here too, please Lois, get Superman to help."

"I need an address Toby."

"I don't know, I'm sorry-" The phone went dead abruptly, cutting him off.

"Toby!" Lois said in frustration, which woke Clark up. "Dammit!"

"What? What's wrong?" He sat up quickly and studied her face.

"I just got a call from Toby. He told me where we might be able to find Kara."

"What? Where is she?" he asked, wide eyed and very awake.

"He doesn't know the address, he said Lex is holding him there and that he can see a big river and some docks out of his window. Do you think he's telling the truth?"

"I'm not taking any chances. Give me your phone, I'll get Chloe to trace the number at Watchtower."

She handed the phone over and stood up, by the time she was upright, he was in his Superman suit.

"Should we call Ollie?"

He shook his head. "No, not until we know for sure. I don't want to get his hopes up."

"Okay. But please be careful Clark."

He nodded and tried to smile, but it was strained. "Stay here, I'll be right back. Do not go anywhere okay?" He kissed her quickly and blew out of the door, leaving a gust of wind in his wake.

"Please let this be real." she murmured, wrapping her arms around herself.

* * *

"Did she believe you?"

Toby sat on the dusty floor in the living room of an abandoned house, curled up like a little child. But these men were scary. They were big and they had weapons and there were five of them.

"I…I think so."

"Good," The one who'd spoken, was smiling wickedly, he scared Toby the most. He'd heard Lex talking about him. His name was Daniel and from what he'd heard when he'd been eavesdropping, Toby didn't even want to be in the same room as him.

"Then he'll be here soon. Nice job."

"Yeah, thanks." Toby replied nervously. But inside he felt sick. He'd just handed Superman to the bad guys. And although he knew that Clark/Superman was the husband of the woman he still loved, Superman was still his hero, and he was going to walk into a trap.

What had he done?

**_To Be Continued..._**


	47. Chapter 46

_**Chapter Forty Six  
**_

"Chloe?" Clark stormed into Watchtower and for the first time in a long time, Chloe was nowhere to be seen. "Chloe!"

"What? Jeez Clark you don't have to yell, I'm right here." she said, appearing at the top of the stairs. He raced up to her and handed her Lois' cell phone.

"Can you trace the location of the last number that called."

"Uh sure, why though?"

"Toby called Lois. He said he knows where Kara is, but he doesn't know the address."

Chloe stopped and turned around to face him. "Listen Clark, I want to find Kara as much as you do, but Toby? You can't trust what he says is true. He could be lying."

"I know that, but I can't take the chance that he isn't. Lois said he sounded like he was scared, maybe Lex is holding him too. He may have kidnapped Lois, but I don't think he wanted to hurt her, so maybe he doesn't want anything bad to happen to Kara."

Chloe gave him a sympathetic look and then walked over to her station and started typing. "This might take a while Clark."

"As long as you find it." he replied, pacing back and forth.

"So where's Lois and Phoebe?"

"At home with mom."

"Are they safe there?"

"Sure they are," But he stopped his pacing long enough to think about that.

"Clark, if this is a trap, it could be to lure you away from them long enough for Lex to get to them. And no offence, but your mom isn't exactly up to fighting off Dr Evil's henchmen."

"Yeah, you're right. Okay, I'm gonna take them up to the Fortress. Will you call me if anything comes through before I get back?"

Chloe nodded. "Sure." She grabbed his arm as he turned, stopping him. "Clark, this is Lex. Please be careful."

Clark covered her hand with his. "I will, don't worry Chloe. Lex isn't gonna get away with this."

* * *

Lois paced around the living room, bouncing a crying Phoebe in her arms. "Come on sweetie, please. Daddy will be home soon I promise."

She kept crying. Lois wasn't sure what to do anymore. She was fed, clean and dry. She had no idea what to do to soothe her little girl.

"Is everything okay Lois?" Martha asked, standing at the foot of the stairs in her bathrobe.

"Sorry, did we wake you?"

"No, I was awake. Is she okay?" she asked, coming closer.

"I don't know what to do Mom, she won't stop. She knows something's wrong."

Martha rubbed Lois' arm gently. "When was the last time you got some sleep Lois?"

"About two years ago." she said with a wry chuckle. "I can't sleep. As soon as I close my eyes, I see her face. All scared and alone."

"Clark will find her honey."

"Lois, mom." Clark called as he burst in the back door.

"What's wrong?" Lois asked, hoping for the best but expecting the worst.

"Chloe's working on getting the address of that number, but I need to take you all up to the Fortress. Now."

Martha tucked her robe in tighter around her, the fear showing on her face, though Lois knew she was trying hard to hide it. That was Martha, always a pillar of strength. "What's going on Clark?"

"I'm going to find Kara, but just in case this is a trap, I don't want you here alone. I need to know that you're all gonna be safe while I'm out. So will you come with me? Please?"

Lois wrapped an arm around his waist and kissed him gently. "Of course we will. Just let me go and get some things." She handed Phoebe to Clark. As soon as the little girl was in her father's arms, she stopped crying.

"Hmm, daddy's girl." Lois muttered, grinning as she went upstairs.

"I'll just go and get changed." Martha said, kissing Clark on the cheek before leaving the room.

Clark stared down at Phoebe, who was now lying quietly, but wide awake in his arms. He rocked her back and forth, feeling her presence soothe him a little.

"Why aren't you asleep huh? What's wrong?" Not that he expected an answer, but talking to her always made him feel better.

"Don't worry baby girl, I'll find your aunt Kara. Until then, you, mommy and grandma are going to go see grandad Jor-El. You like the Fortress, don't you."

He smoothed a hand over her hair, loving how soft it was. "I love you so much Phoebe, I promise, daddy will never let anything bad happen to you. Ever."

"That's quite a promise, Smallville."

He turned to see Lois standing on the stairs, bag in hand. "It's one I fully intend to keep too. I mean it, I won't let _anyone_ hurt my family."

He walked over to her, just as she reached the second step so she was directly in his eyeline. She leaned forward and kissed him and he took a few moments to relish in the warmth of his wife.

With his daughter in his arms and his wife right in front of him, for a few seconds, Clark felt like his problems weren't so big. That nothing couldn't be solved if he had these two in his life.

"Are you okay?" she asked, placing a hand on his cheek and staring into his eyes.

"I will be. As soon as you three are where you're safe."

Martha walked into the room fully dressed and even wearing a big, thick coat. "You know you don't need that, right mom?"

"Clark, we're going to an ice castle, it pays to be prepared." Clark had forgotten that his mom hadn't been there since he was younger.

"Well, its warm where you're going, trust me."

"So, how are we doing this? You can't carry all three of us at once." Martha asked.

Clark gave her an indignant look. "Mom, look who you're talking to. Come on, let's go."

He handed Phoebe back to Lois, who strapped her into her car seat, and then he grabbed Martha in one arm, Lois in the other, and together, the two women held the car seat sandwiched in between them. It was as safe as it could be. When Clark was finished adjusting, he took off, flying them high into the night sky.

* * *

"Kal-El, I see you have brought visitors." Jor-El's booming voice greeted them as Clark set them all down in the Fortress.

"I need them to stay here for a while, is that okay?"

"My son, your family is always welcome here. Have you found your cousin yet?"

"Not yet, but that's where I'm going now. I got a lead on where she might be."

Lois wrapped her arms around him and gave him a kiss. "How will I know if you find her? It's not like this place gets a good cell reception."

"I'll come back for you soon, I promise."

"Clark," Lois hesitated, rubbing her hands over his chest. "I love you."

"I love you too Lois. I'll be fine, don't worry."

She scoffed. "Yeah, with Lex involved, that doesn't exactly fill me with confidence."

"Hey," He stroked her cheek, making her eyes meet his. "I love you. It's gonna be okay."

She nodded and let go, crossing her arms to stop herself from reaching out for him again.

Clark walked over to the central control panel as Lois and Martha took Phoebe into the bedroom. That was the warmest place for her to be and maybe being here, Phoebe would get some sleep. He hoped Lois would too, she looked so exhausted.

"This could be a trap Kal-El." His father's voice reminded him.

"I know. But I have to go."

"I understand. Go, your family will be safe here, I will watch over them."

Clark moved a few crystals around, placing them in different slots, improving the security of the place. If anyone came here, Jor-El would know about it. He had ways of keeping out intruders.

"Thank you, father." Clark replied, wishing in that moment that his real father was there to guide him. He hated having to leave them here, without him, but he had to find Kara.

"Be careful, my son."

* * *

Clark arrived back at Watchtower a few minutes later. "Anything?" he asked Chloe.

"I have an address, its by the river, right here. This house has been abandoned for months." she pointed to the map on the screen. Clark memorised it, and turned to leave.

"Hey Clark, what about Oliver? Should I tell him?"

"Chloe, if this is a trap, I don't want him getting involved. This is his wife, he's not thinking straight and I don't want him to get hurt. If I find anything, I'll call."

"Okay. Where is he?"

"At home, Emil gave him a sedative because he hasn't slept for a week. He was ready to drop."

He shared a worried glance with Chloe, they both knew that a sedative wouldn't keep Oliver down for long. And when he woke up, Clark had no idea what he would do. If Clark ever needed proof that Oliver loved Kara, he was getting it. Oliver was a complete mess.

But Clark could understand, he would be the same if someone had taken Lois and Phoebe. He just couldn't think about that, it was too awful to even contemplate.

"I'll get Jimmy to go over there."

Clark nodded as he reached the door. "Probably a good idea."

* * *

The docks were silent as Clark landed, not a soul in sight. He carefully x-rayed his surroundings, seeing no threat anywhere and headed towards the boarded up house.

Something wasn't right, he could feel it. This wasn't exactly the kind of place that Lex would hang out in. He wasn't here. But maybe Kara was.

He entered the house, surprised at how easily the door opened considering that it was boarded up too, and walked through to the living room, searching each room as he went. Nothing. The house was completely silent.

He made his way down to the basement and found nothing. A quick x-ray of the walls told him there were no hidden doors or hatches. She wasn't here.

"Dammit!" he yelled, kicking a pile of wood near his feet, sending it flying into the wall and shattering into pieces.

As he walked out of the house, he stopped and drew in a deep breath. He knew that this had to have been a trap, nothing with Lex was ever that easy. But he'd really hoped that he could've put an end to this nightmare. He raised his hand and floated up, but a sickening feeling in his stomach had him pausing.

It intensified into real pain, the kind where he felt as if his blood were boiling in his veins.

_Kryptonite_.

He crashed to the ground just as four men appeared out of the shadows, each of them armed with guns. Clark had no doubt that they had Kryptonite bullets in those guns as well. He tried to stand, but as the men got closer to him, he felt weaker and weaker. Sweat broke out all over his body, making him shiver and the pain got worse.

"Well, well, lookey what we found." Clark recognised that voice._ Daniel_. "Our very own Superman." He crouched down in front of Clark and smiled. "How you been dude? It's been a while."

"Where's my cousin?" Clark asked, holding back the groan that threatened to escape. He would not give him the satisfaction.

"Oh she's safe. For now. But when that baby is ready…" Daniel ran his hand across his stomach, gesturing a knife. Clark stomach rolled, Lex was going to take the babies out?

With a surge of strength, Clark got to his feet and Daniel backed away, but he was holding something in a clenched fist at his side. As he hit Clark full on, knocking him back down to the ground, Clark saw the huge chunk of Kryptonite in his hand.

"Come on boys, let's get this over with."

The last thing Clark saw, was four men hovering over him, each of them holding a piece of the poisonous rock. He tried to fight it, but it was too strong. As the darkness crept in, the last thought Clark had, was that he'd failed.

**_To Be Continued..._**


	48. Chapter 47

_**Chapter Forty Seven**_

Kara sat up on her bed, her restraints no longer being used because Lex had seen to it that neither she nor Helen could escape. If only she could find that Kryptonite, she could get her strength back and bust out of here. But without her x-ray vision, it was no use.

"Helen," she whispered, crossing the room to the other woman. Helen was still tied down, due to her repeated attempts of attacking the guards and at one point, even Lex himself. Kara was not sorry to see it either.

She worried that Helen would get herself killed, but seeing Lex get knocked out by her was awesome. He went down like a sack of potatoes when she hit him. She had a lot of power when she was angry.

"Helen, are you awake?"

"No." she replied. Then she sighed and sat up. Her restraints only allowed her a certain amount of movement. "It's no use Kara. We can't get out of here. I'm sorry, I tried."

"You don't have to be sorry. I'm just glad you aren't hurt."

The dark-brown haired woman focused her eyes on Kara. "Are you okay? How are you feeling?"

"Physically I feel fine. The babies are kicking up a storm so I think they're okay. Mentally however…" She let that sentence trail and shook her head.

"Clark's gonna come for us, you know that right?"

Helen smiled but Kara could see in her eyes that she didn't really believe it. "Kara, come on. This is Lex we're talking about. He knows enough to keep someone like you in this room, he knows enough to hurt you. Therefore he knows what can hurt Clark. You don't think he's thought this out? Every little detail carefully planned?"

"You don't have to be so negative Helen, I was only trying to cheer you up." Kara replied, sitting down on the edge of Helen's bed.

"I know, I'm sorry. I guess Clark isn't called Superman for no reason huh? He'll get us out of this. And Oliver."

At the mention of her husband's name, Kara went quiet. She missed him so much that it actually hurt. She didn't know if he was okay, if he was hurt or if he'd gone off and done something stupid to find her.

The door opening broke her out of her thoughts. Lex walked in, sporting a rather nice black eye but still grinning like the cat that got the cream. Kara wanted to rip his face off, but she was sure that he kept a piece of Kryptonite on him, since every time she got close to him she started feeling sick.

"How are we today ladies?"

"Little late with the breakfast aren't you?" Kara replied sarcastically. But she had to admit that she was starving. She hadn't eaten in a couple of days. But she had to take care of herself. Her babies depended on her.

"Kara…" Lex sighed and sat down on Kara's bed, watching her from across the room. "When is all this hostility going to end? I mean you no harm."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I thought it was normal to be angry at the man who's trying to steal your child away from you. I do apologize."

"Clearly there's no talking to you this morning. Helen, how are you?"

"Ready for round two if you wanna go Lex." she replied, her anger just bubbling under the surface. Kara put a hand over her shoulder in a warning effort to calm her. It, of course, didn't work.

"Seriously ladies, what do you think I'm going to do to this kid? I would never harm a child, I have the best of intentions when it comes to Kara's baby. I will raise it as my own and-"

"And what? Mastermind a plan to take over the world? Using my child as a force for your evil?" Kara spat. She had to keep herself under control, she'd almost blurted out that she was having two babies.

"Don't be so dramatic Kara." Lex said, standing up and smoothing down his pristine suit.

But no matter how much he tried to look good, he couldn't detract from those ugly scars running down his face. The scars that, he believed, Clark had put there.

"Besides, it's not like he or she will be alone. They'll have Phoebe to grow up with."

Kara laughed at him. "You think Clark, or Lois for that matter, will let you anywhere near Phoebe?"

Lex checked his watch and smiled. "Oh I think Clark's a little busy right now to be worrying about that. And Lois? Well, she's hardly an obstacle."

Kara's blood turned to ice. "What does that mean?"

"It's not important."

"What the hell did you do to my cousin!" she yelled.

Lex held his hands out in a surrendering gesture. "Easy Kara, mind your blood pressure. We have no way of knowing what damage you're doing to the baby."

"You are never getting this baby Lex." Kara said, standing to stare him straight in the eyes. "Over my dead body."

Lex merely smirked at her. "Well, let's hope it doesn't come to that. We've got another month or so until that baby can come out."

Kara's jaw dropped. "But I'm only five months pregnant."

He reached out and touched her hair. "Then I guess you'd better behave huh? It would be a shame if something were to happen to you now."

He strolled out of the room, leaving a seething Kara standing there wishing she had the strength to rip his head off. She started shaking, hearing Lex's words play over in her head. Something was very wrong, Clark was in danger.

* * *

"Uh, Oliver, what are we doing here?" Jimmy asked as they stepped inside Lex's office at Luthorcorp.

"He had to have left something behind. Someone like Lex can't just vanish off the face of the earth you know." Oliver replied impatiently as he started ransacking Lex's desk.

"But if we get caught in here…"

Oliver's eyes snapped up to his. "What? You think anyone's going to try anything with the person who owns most of this company?"

"Speaking of that…" Jimmy said warily. Oliver was in a volatile mood and angering him would not be in his best interests right now. Not that he didn't get it, he totally did. Considering the circumstances, he thought Oliver was holding up okay.

"If there was anything to find, don't you think the people you already hired would have by now? It's been over a fortnight since she went missing."

"You don't think I know that?" Oliver yelled, stopping his search for a moment to stare at Jimmy through reddened eyes that had done a lot of crying over the past two weeks.

"You don't think I count every second since she was taken from me? And she is not _missing_ Jimmy, she's been kidnapped. Now are you gonna help me or not?"

Jimmy held his hands up in surrender. "Okay, sorry man. I'll help."

He got to work, rifling through drawer after drawer, but finding nothing out of the ordinary. He stood back and thought for a minute. "If I were Lex, and if I wanted to keep something hidden, I wouldn't put it in plain view or where it could be reached."

"What's your point?" Oliver asked, not even looking up from the files he was flipping through.

"My point is, if Lex wanted to keep something secret, he would have a safe or something. Maybe a vault?"

At this, Oliver looked up, thoughtful. "You may have a point there. But there are no safes in here, we checked already."

"But what about the mansion? Or the penthouse?"

"Come on, let's go." Oliver stormed towards the door.

"Wait, we're not seriously breaking and entering into Lex Luthor's place."

Oliver took a deep breath, obviously an effort to keep himself calm. He stared Jimmy down. "That man has taken my wife, and my babies, and is holding them captive. I have to find them. God only knows what he's doing to them. So forgive me if a little breaking and entering doesn't really bother me right now."

"Sorry Oliver, you're right. Let's go."

* * *

"Jor-El!" Lois yelled into the icy emptiness of the Fortress. She was pacing in front of the central control panel, with Martha standing close by holding Phoebe who again, was crying. But this was a little different. There was something about the way she was crying that alarmed Lois. It seemed more urgent, as if she could sense something wasn't right. And Lois herself could feel it too.

"I am here Lois."

"Where is he Jor-El? It's been almost a day since he left here. Where is my husband?"

"He is in grave danger Lois. He's been captured."

Lois' heartbeat went into overdrive. "Where?"

"He's trapped, along with some Kryptonite. He needs help." Jor-El's voice never altered, it was, as always, almost mechanical. He was just a voice of an artificial intelligence. Incapable of feeling.

"Why the hell didn't you tell me this before? He's been gone too long!"

"I am sorry, but I was waiting, hoping he would find his own way out."

"Well?" she urged, holding her arms out. "What am I still doing here? Let's go."

"Lois." Martha said, shaking her head, looking worried.

"You must understand Lois, I swore to protect you and your family. I cannot let you walk into danger."

"He is my husband! I will not stay here while he's hurt, now send me back!" she yelled.

"Lois, Clark wouldn't want you to do this." Martha said.

"Martha is right, Lois. Kal-El would not let you put yourself at risk."

"I don't care!" she shouted, angry and scared. "I have to do something. You know where he is, send me there. Please!"

"Your daughter needs you Lois. The little one is crying for her father, only her mother can soothe her right now."

"Her grandmother is doing just as good a job. I won't stand here and let her father, my husband, die. He's your son Jor-El, and I love him too much to stay here and wait. He can yell at me all he wants when it's over but right now, he needs me. So please."

Silence fell, the only sound coming from the chilling wind outside. Martha looked at Lois, pain evident in her gaze. This was a stupid idea, but Lois would not just wait here. She couldn't, not when Clark was in danger. He'd saved her so many times, it was time to do the same for him now.

"Come on Jor-El, don't go giving me the silent treatment." Nothing. "Talk to me, dammit!"

"Very well Lois, I will send you to your home but I cannot send you to where he is. It is too dangerous. You must find him on your own."

Clearly that was the best he was going to offer. Seeing no other option other than to stay here and waste more time by arguing, Lois nodded. "Fine, just do it."

She walked over to Martha and stroked Phoebe's head. "It's okay sweetie, mommy's gonna go get daddy."

"Lois, please, don't…" Martha had tears in her eyes, so Lois kissed her on the cheek and smiled.

"It's okay mom, I'll find him."

Martha gripped her hand tightly. "Be careful. Remember, you're not as strong as Clark anymore."

"I know. Are you going to be okay with her?" she asked, looking down at the crying child in Martha's arms.

"We'll be fine. Just watch your back okay?"

"I will." She kissed Phoebe and stepped back towards the control panel. "Well? Are you ready?" she asked.

Jor-El's answer was a bright flash of light and the next thing she knew, she was standing inside the Kawatche caves in Smallville.

"Thanks '_dad_'." Great, just great. He could've at least dropped her in Metropolis. She had no idea where to even start looking and she got the feeling that time was running out.

"Chloe." she said aloud, thinking that her cousin had been the last person to see Clark. And she knew where he'd gone. Maybe with all that fancy technology that Watchtower had, Chloe could trace Clark's location. She certainly hoped so.

As she left the caves and ran towards the farm to get her car, she prayed that she would get to him in time. Because the nauseating feeling in the pit of her stomach was telling her that he was definitely not okay.

**_To Be Continued..._**


	49. Chapter 48

_**Chapter Forty Eight**_

"Lois, what's wrong?" Chloe asked as Lois burst into Watchtower. She took a minute to catch her breath and then rushed over to her cousin.

"Clark's missing. He's in trouble Chlo,"

"What? How…?" Then it dawned on her. "It was a trap after all. I knew it. I told him not to go."

"This is Kara we're talking about Chloe, he couldn't not go. I get that. But I have to find him."

Chloe narrowed her eyes. "Speaking of which, how did you get out of the Fortress? I thought Clark took you up there yesterday."

"He did. Jor-El sent me back." Lois replied, anxious to get the search for Clark started. But as she watched Chloe tapping away, she knew that she was already on the case.

"Willingly?" Chloe asked, glancing over at her.

"No, but I didn't give him much of a choice. Clark's hurt, he needs me."

Chloe nodded and turned back to her screen. "Got him. Oh…" Her face fell as she read the screen.

Feeling like she would explode if Chloe didn't say something soon, Lois grabbed her arm and shook her slightly.

"Chloe, where is he?"

* * *

"Oliver, are you sure about this?" Jimmy whispered as he followed Oliver into the Luthor mansion.

"Trust me Jimmy, those guards are out. And will be for a while. Come on."

They walked into the main study, where Lex had spent most of his time in the past and while Jimmy started rifling through files, Oliver tried to hack into his computer. Which, of course, was harder than it appeared. Lex had a million layers of security.

But he had to do something. For over two weeks now, Kara had been gone and each day the pain in his chest got worse. He needed to find her.

"Anything?" he asked Jimmy.

"Not yet, I'm looking don't worry."

Oliver's reply was cut off by his cell phone ringing. It was the ring tone that only signalled when it was Watchtower calling him.

"Chloe, please tell me you have something." he said as soon as he answered.

"Ollie, Clark's in trouble, he needs your help."

"What do you mean he's in trouble?" he asked, stopping his search to focus on the conversation.

"Lois got a call from Toby, claiming that he knew where Kara was. Clark went to find out if he was telling the truth but it was a trap."

"What?" His anger bubbled to the surface. "Why didn't you call me?"

"Because Clark told me not to. You can get angry later Oliver, we don't have time for it right now." Chloe said in a firm tone that she'd never used on him before. It surprised him into silence for a few seconds and she took advantage of it.

"Listen, he thought he was doing the right thing. He didn't want to say anything until he was sure. And now he's hurt and he needs your help. Lois needs you."

"Lois, what's…?"

"She went after him. I tried to hold her back but she wouldn't listen. Please Ollie, I'm sending you the location now, help him."

"I'm on my way Chloe." He hung up and looked at Jimmy, who'd been listening intently.

"We have to go. Now."

* * *

Lois squinted into the darkness by the river where Clark had last been. She couldn't see anything. She wished she'd had the foresight to bring a flashlight with her. But she had no time to worry about that now, she had to keep her wits about her. Lex's men could still be here.

She walked up the steps and onto the porch of the dark, empty house that Chloe had given her the address for. But something felt wrong. It felt as if she were being pulled in another direction. Going with her instincts, Lois walked towards the docks and stopped.

The water was as black as the sky above her, allowing her to see absolutely nothing. But a chilling feeling in her gut was telling her that Clark was down there. She wondered how deep the river actually went.

"Lois stop!" Oliver's voice rang out behind her and she turned to see him and Jimmy standing there. He reached out a hand and gave her a pleading look as if she were about to jump to her own demise.

"Come away from there."

"No, he's in there Ollie. I'm sure of it." she replied, defiantly. She turned back to the water, was about to jump in when Oliver grabbed her arm.

"You're not going in there. I won't let you."

She snatched her arm free. "The hell you won't, that's my husband down there!"

He grabbed her by the shoulders, roughly, and forced her to face him. "Lois, you can't go in there. I'll go. I have some night vision goggles in the trunk of my car." He cupped her cheek and looked into her eyes. "I'll find him Lois."

Tears burned her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She had to be strong. "Please, hurry." she whispered.

He nodded and dashed off to his car, then returned, having shed his jacket, and without another word, he dived right in.

She felt rather than saw Jimmy appear next to her, because she couldn't take her eyes off the water. But when he slipped his hand through hers and squeezed, she was grateful that he was there with her.

"He'll be okay Lois."

"He's been down there a long time Jimmy, with Kryptonite. I don't know if…" she trailed off, the thought too ugly to bear.

"He's Clark. He'll be okay." Jimmy said again, emphasising his words.

Then her heart leapt into her throat as Oliver resurfaced. But he was alone. "He's down there!" he yelled.

"What? Well, why didn't you get him?"

"Because I can't get to him, he's trapped." Oliver swam to the edge and hoisted himself up onto the dock. "Jimmy, go to my car, get me anything you can that can break a sealed lock."

"Oh God." Lois murmured, feeling a little faint.

Jimmy quickly dashed off, leaving a panting Oliver standing with Lois. "Why was he out here by himself, Lois? Why didn't he call me?"

Lois saw the pain evident in his gaze. "He was trying to protect you Ollie. He didn't want to get your hopes up if it turned out to be nothing. And he was right."

"As noble as that is, I had a right to know."

Lois nodded and folded her arms to keep herself warm in the chilling wind of the night. "I know. But you've been through so much already."

Jimmy reappeared before he could reply, handing him a small case. "Thanks Jim, stay with her."

He dived back in and all Lois could do…was wait.

* * *

Kara woke that evening feeling drained, exhausted and hungry. It was dark in the room, no lights on anywhere and it was scary. "Helen?"

Silence was all that answered her. "Helen, are you okay?"

Fearing the worst, Kara tried to move, but found her arms had been tied to the bed again. What the…?

The door opened, sending a shaft of light down the stairs, but she couldn't see who was coming until they were standing over her. Her gut clenched as she stared up into a blank face, carefully controlled into an expressionless mask.

"Helen?"

"I'm sorry Kara, but it has to be this way."

"What are you talking about? What's going on?"

"He's too strong. I have no choice, I have to help him."

"You're not taking my babies." Kara spat angrily.

"It's not like we have much say in the matter. Lex always gets what he wants in the end. And if he doesn't? Well, let's just say that it will end badly. For all of us." Helen replied, and as she turned to leave, Kara thought she saw a tear in her eye. But she was sure she was imagining it. Though she hoped not.

Because if what she'd feared all along was true, then Helen had played them all. And she had done it perfectly. All of a sudden the walls she'd been so defiant in keeping up, came crashing down and with them came a flood of tears. She was terrified, running out of time, and now she was truly all alone.

"Please, Ollie, Clark, find me." she whispered into the dark.

* * *

Lois stood by the river's edge, on the dock, pacing and pacing. She just couldn't stand still. Every part of her was aching to dive into that water and rescue her husband. But Oliver was right, it was too dangerous, she didn't even know where to look. He had the equipment to get the job done right.

"Are you okay?" Jimmy asked. She glanced over at him, but didn't respond. "Right, sorry, stupid question."

"No it's okay Jimmy. I just…" she trailed off and shook her head.

"Lois, Jimmy!" Oliver shouted as he broke the water's shiny surface. Lois' heart went into overdrive as she saw a dark head emerge in his arms.

Without thinking, she dived into the water and swam over to them, helping Oliver get to shore.

"Oh my God," Lois cried, tears finally pooling enough to blur her vision as she bent over an unconscious Clark at the water's edge. His face was all bloody from the repeated blows he had apparently received, he had a cut lip, cut cheeks, and a black eye that was swollen badly.

It broke Lois' heart to see him like this. Her super strong husband, now weak as a kitten. It almost killed her.

She smoothed his wet hair away from his face and put her ear to his mouth. "He's breathing, but barely." Then she felt his face, his torso, his arms. "He's freezing Ollie. We gotta get him outta here."

Oliver nodded and moved around to his other side. But before anyone moved, Clark groaned a little.

"Clark? I'm here, you're okay. We're gonna get you home. You're safe now. I love you." She leaned down and kissed his ice cold lips and almost cried at how freezing he really was. He was starting to turn blue.

"What the hell did they do to him?" she asked as Oliver and Jimmy picked him up, put each of his arms around their shoulders and started walking back to the car.

"I don't know but he was locked inside a metal box. It had an air pocket in it so I guess that's why he didn't drown but it would've been like a fridge down there."

"Was there Kryptonite?"

"Yeah, but not as much as I thought it would've taken to keep him down for long."

"Let's just get him back to our house, we can deal with the how's and why's there."

She climbed into the back seat of Oliver's car and held Clark carefully as they laid him across her knees. Cradling his face in her hands, Lois started to cry again.

"It's okay honey, I'm here." she whispered. She'd never said that to him before, but right now, it felt right. Lois wasn't one for the mushy romantic names, but she had this overwhelming need to make sure that he knew he was with her. That she was the one holding him, and that he was now safe.

As Oliver drove off at a speed she was sure would break some limit, she felt the anger at what had been done to her husband seep in. Lex was going to pay for this, she would see to it.

**_To Be Continued..._**


	50. Chapter 49

_**Chapter Forty Nine**_

"Clark? Can you hear me?" Lois asked, kneeling down in front of the couch where Oliver and Jimmy had put him.

He was still unconscious and his wounds didn't appear to be healing. She'd never seen him like this before, it made her so angry and sad at the same time.

Every time he went out, she never really had to worry because he was almost invincible, he had advantages, but she worried anyway. Because he was her husband and to lose him would be to lose everything good in her life. She couldn't imagine her life without him now.

She brushed her fingers against his forehead, feeling how cold he still was. "Please say you can hear me." she whispered, moving closer to his head. She pressed her lips to his temple and heard him groan.

"Lois…" he whispered, a pained expression forming on his face. She looked up at Oliver.

"Something's wrong Ollie, he should be healing by now."

Oliver nodded and moved towards him. "Help me get him undressed, there may be Kryptonite on his suit."

"Jimmy, run into the bedroom and grab me as many blankets as you can." Lois ordered as she and Oliver got to work.

Carefully, Oliver lifted him up, and Lois began stripping his suit off. She gasped as she peeled it off of his back. In the centre, just below where his lungs would be, was a gaping red mess of a wound.

"Oh God." Lois cried out. She looked a little closer, something green was glowing inside there.

"Ollie, it's in there. I have to get it out. Lay him on his stomach."

Oliver did as he was told, then ran into the kitchen to get something to pull it out with.

"Here," He handed her a pair of pliers and she took them with a shaky hand.

"This is gonna hurt Clark, I'm sorry honey." She grimaced as she dug the metal into the wound, feeling around the edges of the Kryptonite, but Clark didn't make a sound. He was still out cold. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing right now.

"I can't get it." she said, her hand now trembling. Oliver gently pushed her aside and took over.

"Keep him still," he said.

She lowered her head so that she was on the same level as Clark's face and grabbed hold of his hand. His face was contorted in pain and she didn't know how much more she could take.

Then finally, Oliver called out that he'd got it. He showed her the piece of glowing green rock, made into the shape of a dagger, someone meant to do Clark some serious harm.

As Oliver rushed out of the room to dispose of it, Lois pushed the rage back down, it would do her no good here. But she wanted to kill Lex Luthor so bad. How could one man be the sole cause of so much pain?

"Clark, please talk to me sweetie." she whispered in his ear, stroking his face. "Please."

He let out a quiet groan. "Lois?"

"Yeah, I'm here Clark, I'm here."

"Fortress…" he mumbled, and started trembling. Jimmy swooped in with the blankets and covered him up.

"Jor-El knew you were in danger. He sent me back."

"Shouldn't…have…too…dangerous." he said, his teeth chattering. Lois rubbed his arms, torso, legs, anywhere to try and generate some heat. He was freezing. But his face appeared to be healing now, slowly.

"He had no choice Clark, I didn't give him one." She kissed him softly on the lips. "Now, ssh, get some rest. I'll be here when you wake up."

"Ph…Phoebe."

"She's safe, with your mom at the Fortress." As soon as she said that, he drifted off and she got up and threw back all the curtains in the room, trying to allow as much natural sunlight in as she could.

It would be the only thing that would help him now. He wasn't in immediate danger now, but he was still weak, he needed to gain strength from the one thing she knew would heal him. The sun.

"I'm just gonna go call Chloe and check on her. Will you be okay?" Jimmy asked as Lois kneeled back down on the floor in front of the sofa.

"Yeah, I think so." she replied, looking at her sleeping husband. "He'll be fine."

"I meant…never mind. I'll be back in a few."

Lois didn't hear him leave, or Oliver return for that matter, she was too engrossed in watching Clark. The steady rise and fall of his chest, the way his eyelids flickered but never opened.

"He could've died out there Ollie," she whispered, knowing Oliver was standing nearby. "I could've lost him today."

"I know." Oliver replied, there wasn't really much else he could say.

"I almost lost my invincible husband," she chuckled dryly. "Isn't that just ironic?"

"He's gonna be okay Lois."

"I know but it's still hard, seeing him like this. I never thought this could happen."

She stood up and wiped the tears from her face. Then she turned and looked at Oliver and his expression was like a kick to the gut. He looked so sad. So she did the only thing she knew to do, she hugged him.

"We're gonna find Kara, I promise." she said, holding him tightly. He squeezed her back, as if needing the comfort.

"I miss her so much, Lois. I need to know that she's okay. I just need to know that."

She cupped his face in her hands and forced eye contact from him. "I know, this has gone on long enough. Listen to me Ollie, I have a plan."

* * *

"No! Absolutely not, no way!" Chloe yelled, angrily.

"Chlo, just listen to me…" Lois tried to reason with her cousin but she wasn't having any of it. She stormed around her monitors, tapping here and there at Watchtower, clearly angry even at the suggestion of Lois' plan.

"No, I'm not doing it. It's a stupid idea Lois, one that will most likely get you kidnapped or worse. I can't do that, I'm sorry."

"Look, we don't have a lot of options here Chloe. We're running out of time, Kara's running out of time."

Chloe shook her head, vehemently and glared at Oliver, who was standing nearby looking sheepish. "And you agree with this idea?"

"No, not at all. But we have to do something Chloe. I mean, are you any closer to finding my wife?"

Chloe sighed and shook her head again. "No, I'm not. But that doesn't mean that we're gonna send Lois into the line of fire. Firstly, Clark won't allow it. Secondly, _I_ won't allow it."

Lois grabbed Chloe's arm and pulled her to the side, away from Oliver and Jimmy so it was just the two of them.

"Chlo, you know this is the only way." she said softly. "We have to find Kara. This way is the fastest way."

"Lois, you want me to put a tracking device on you, and let you get yourself kidnapped. What if Lex doesn't want you? What if you're expendable to him? If Phoebe's not with you, he won't go for it. And there is no way in hell that I'll let my niece anywhere near that monster."

"What, you think I'd put my own daughter in danger?" Lois demanded, angry and a little hurt at the insinuation.

"No, of course not. But you know what I mean, he will never go for just you."

"He will if he _thinks_ I have Phoebe with me. Look, I'm not saying it's a foolproof plan, but Oliver will be two steps behind me, waiting to jump in when we find out where they're taking me. You know this is the only way Chlo…"

"Doesn't mean I have to like it. And just what am I supposed to tell _your husband_ when he wakes up?" she asked, glancing at Clark, who was still asleep but now on the sofas in Watchtower. He was lying in a beam of direct sunlight, coming in from the very large window in the centre of the room.

Lois looked over at him, knowing that when he woke up, he would be angry. But this had to be done.

"When he's strong enough, tell him. He'll come for me."

"Please, don't do this Lois, we'll find some other way to get to Kara." Chloe said, this time her tone pleading, which Lois knew meant that she was wearing her down.

"There is no other way. We've been looking for too long. We don't have a choice. Do it Chloe, please."

Eventually, the petite blonde nodded and moved silently away to begin her task.

"Are you sure about this Lois? I don't like it." Oliver said, moving over to her.

"No, but what else can we do? We can't sit around waiting, Lex wants those babies and I don't think he's inclined to wait the full nine months. We have to do something, now."

Oliver nodded grimly, and Lois knew that he hated this idea as much as Clark would when he woke up. She really didn't relish the thought of having that conversation with Clark, but it would come. She just had to make sure that her plan didn't backfire on her first.

"Okay then. Here we go." She took out her cell phone and dialled the number that Toby had called her from.

"Toby?" she asked, when the phone clicked, but no one answered. "Toby, it's Lois. Is that you?"

"Lois?" Toby's voice came through, shy and quiet. She wondered where he was.

"Listen to me very carefully Toby, Clark's missing. I need your help. I know you were the last one to see him. Please Toby, please tell me where my husband is."

"You shouldn't come Lois. Too dangerous for you." he replied.

"I know you didn't want to hurt Clark, but he needs help. Where did they take him?"

There was a few moments of silence and Lois looked over at Chloe, who was busily trying to trace the call but it was harder to do with a cell phone.

"I never meant for any of this Lois. I never meant to hurt anyone, especially not you." To Lois' surprise, Toby started crying. Yet she felt no sympathy whatsoever. He didn't deserve any.

Holding back her anger, she spoke softly into the phone. "Then tell me where he is. Please."

"Down by the docks at the edge of Metropolis. But you may be too late Lois. I think they were going to kill him. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Look, I'm heading there now, can you meet me there? Show me where he is?"

"Sure, okay."

"Great, thanks Toby. I'll be there in about half an hour."

"Okay Lois." he replied, a little more eager than before and for a split second she wondered if he knew what she was up to. But this was Toby, he couldn't know.

She hung up and turned to Chloe. "I think we're good to go."

Chloe walked over and handed her a small device about the size of a quarter. "For the record, I'm still against this."

"Noted."

"Okay, this one is a decoy, they'll most likely search you and if they do, they'll find this and throw it away. This one, however…" She placed a smaller black piece of plastic on Lois' hand. "This one, you'll swallow. That way, they won't suspect anything else on you and I can still track you."

"Okay," Lois took a deep breath and then swallowed the tiny tracker. "Thanks Chloe, I really appreciate this."

Chloe did not look impressed. She folded her arms and gave Lois an icy look. "Just don't go getting yourself killed and we'll be cool."

Lois nodded and walked over to the sofa. Hunching down on one knee, she brushed Clark's hair away from his forehead and kissed him. "Please don't be angry with them. It was my idea. I have to do this Clark. I love you."

She stood up and nodded to Oliver. "Ready?"

"I don't know. Are you?" he replied.

"Ready as I'll ever be. Let's go get your wife."

** _To Be Continued..._**


	51. Chapter 50

_**Chapter Fifty **_

Clark blinked his eyes open slowly, letting them adjust to the light a little at a time. He wasn't used to the feeling. But then again, he hadn't been beaten and stabbed with Kryptonite before either so, there was no telling how long the effects of the rocks he'd been locked in that box with, would last.

There had been an awful lot of them. Lex hadn't been fooling around, he hadn't meant to distract Clark, he'd meant to kill him. Which meant that Lex was stepping up his game. He swung his legs off the side of the sofa and frowned when he realised that he was in Watchtower.

"Clark, thank God." Chloe said, rushing over to hug him. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay. Little achy, but fine otherwise. Why am I here?"

"Oliver and I brought you here." Jimmy replied, handing him a glass of water. Clark took it and frowned at him. "At Lois' request of course."

"Where is she?" he asked, looking around. Chloe and Jimmy shared a worried glance, one that Clark didn't miss. "Guys, where is she?"

As Chloe turned her gaze on him, Clark got a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.  
"She uh, she went to find Lex."

Clark shook his head and chuckled dryly. "I'm sorry, could you say that again? Because it sounded like you said that Lois had gone looking for Lex."

Chloe sat down next to him and Clark's heart dropped. "She said that this had to end Clark. She couldn't take seeing what Lex had done to you, what he's probably doing to Kara. It nearly finished her off seeing you so beaten and hurt like that. She wanted to put an end to this. So she asked me to put a tracking device on her…"

"And you did it?" he yelled. "How could you let her…?"

"What choice did I have Clark? She had a point, and Oliver is following her so we'll know where she is at all times."

"She shouldn't be in danger at all! That's why I took her away!"

"Clark, calm down…"

"Don't tell me to calm down Chloe, not when my wife is out there waiting to be kidnapped by a man who just tried to kill me!"

Clark growled and stood up. "What was she even doing here? Why wasn't she in the Fortress?"

"Jor-El told her you were in danger but when she asked, he refused to send her. But you know Lois, she has a way with words." Chloe said, but there was no humour in her voice.

"He shouldn't have let her go. Why can't she just do what I ask, just for once? She always has to be so pig-headed and stubborn! How can she be so reckless?" he yelled, feeling some of his anger towards his own wife at that moment.

"She's scared!" Chloe yelled back, getting angry right back at him. "Kara's been taken, you were almost killed, your daughter is thousands of miles away from her and she just wants it to be over! We all do!"

Clark drew in a deep breath and forced his anger down. It wouldn't help him right now. "How long ago did she leave?"

Chloe was visibly shaking as Jimmy put his arms around her waist from behind. He sent Clark a look that he couldn't quite read. "About an hour. You were pretty out of it."

He threw up his hands in frustration. "So she could be anywhere by now." he asked, letting out a groan.

Chloe smiled a little, making Clark feel torn between being angry and curious. "What do you know?"

"I know exactly where she is. I have my tracker tracing her. We won't lose her Clark, I promise. Lois is my cousin, I would never let anything happen to her."

Clark softened a little and went over to hug her. "I know. I'm sorry I got so…"

"It's okay."

"It's just the thought of her anywhere near Lex makes my skin crawl. Where is she Chloe?"

Chloe kissed Jimmy's cheek and stepped out of his embrace to get to her computer. She typed for a few seconds and then pointed at a tiny red dot on the screen. "There."

Clark narrowed his eyes at the monitor, feeling his heart start to beat faster. "Where's that?"

"Well, she's definitely not in Kansas anymore, that I can tell you. I don't know where they're taking her but my guess is that she's not in a car. It's moving too fast for that. So it has to be a helicopter or plane."

Clark squeezed his eyes shut and tried not to fly off the handle again but that familiar pain in his chest had started up again at the thought of Lois in danger. "So the same guys that almost killed me, or kidnapped Kara, now have my wife."

Chloe grimaced. "I'm so sorry Clark, but this was the only way we were ever going to find where Lex is keeping Kara. And we do have one thing on our side this time." She tapped the monitor. "We can see where they're taking her."

Clark didn't reply, wasn't sure he could as he watched the little red dot moving further and further away from him. He felt like his heart was being ripped from his chest. "So where's Oliver?"

"Following at a distance. I hope, but if they're in the air…" Chloe let that sentence drift because the idea of Lois facing this alone was too horrible.

"I can't do this. I have to go get her now." Clark said, moving away. Chloe grabbed his arms.

"No Clark, you can't."

He wheeled around to face her, staring her down. "That's my wife, Chloe."

"I know that! But right now, she may be our only hope at getting your cousin back safe and alive."

Clark nodded slowly and backed off. But every instinct he had was screaming at him to do something, to go and find her. He couldn't let her face this alone. But Chloe was right, this might be the only chance they had at finding Kara.

As he returned to watching the monitor closely, he made a promise to himself that if anything happened to his wife, Lex Luthor was going to pay.

* * *

Lois was feeling apprehensive. It shouldn't have been this easy for these guys to show up and take her. It was almost like they'd been waiting for her to show up. A terrible sense of fear washed over her and she wished that she had some way of contacting Clark to check if Phoebe was okay.

Only the knowledge that she was in the Fortress, thousands of miles away, settled her. Jor-El would keep her safe. Sitting on the Luthorcorp jet, she couldn't keep her legs still. Her hands were tied and she was being watched very closely by the four men that Lex had hired.

"So…what does being a henchmen buy you these days?" she asked the nearest one who had an awful lot of facial piercings. How could someone fit that much metal in his face? But if she didn't do something, she was going to go crazy.

"Enough to make sure that the boss gets what he wants." The man smirked at her. "And he seems to be very interested in you little lady. I wonder why."

She tried hard not to squirm in her seat as the man looked her over as if she were naked in front of him. "Well, Lex and I go way back. But he didn't have to send the welcoming committee."

As she'd arrived at the docks, she saw Toby standing there, waiting for her. He'd beckoned her closer and even though every sense she had, had been telling her to run the other way, she'd walked up to him anyway.

The four goons leaping out at her didn't really surprise her, but she'd been shocked more than anything to see Daniel there. The very same man who'd tried to kill her years ago on Tess' orders. Kara had saved her then, it was her turn to do the same for her now.

She looked at him now, sitting at the back, alone and silent. Deadly. "And how did you get back in the game Daniel? I thought you were only Tess' little lackey."

He shrugged his shoulders and sent her a chilling grin. "Can't pay me if she's in prison now can she? Lex on the other hand, well he's been very generous. And I gotta admit, getting one over on the man of steel is rather satisfying work."

Lois actually laughed. "Oh brother, you are so deluded."

"He should be at the bottom of the river by now, choking on the only thing that can actually kill him."

A surge of anger hit Lois hard, and she had to fight to keep it in check. But every time she closed her eyes, she saw the image of Clark lying in her arms, bleeding and bruised. Battered and clinging to his life.

"You don't know anything about him." she seethed.

Daniel stood up and crossed over to her, grinning. "Not true." He swept a lock of her hair away from her face. "I know his weakness and I'm not talking about those little green rocks."

Lois shuddered as he went back to his seat. "Won't be long now sweetheart. The boss is gonna be very happy to see you."

"Yeah, I'll bet." she muttered to herself.

* * *

It felt like a lifetime had passed when the jet finally landed and they ushered her off. As soon as they were outside, a chilling blast of wind rocked her hard enough to make her wobble. She looked around.

"Where are we?"

Daniel came up to her side and took her arm, dragging her with him as he walked towards a black car waiting for them.

"Welcome to the good old countryside Lois." He took in a lungful of air. "Can't you smell how good it is to be out of the city?"

"And where would this countryside be?"

"England of course."

_Crap_, Lois thought. _Of course_.

**_To Be Continued..._**


	52. Chapter 51

_**Chapter Fifty One**_

"You'd better let me out of here or I swear to God I'll…"

"What's going on in here?" Lex asked the three men he'd hired as he stepped through the double doors into the study. His eyes immediately fell on the yelling woman tied to a chair in the middle of the room. "Nice of you to join us Lois." He made a show of looking around. "Your daughter not with us yet?"

Lois smirked at him. "She has other plans."

"Shame, I would've loved to meet the little bundle of joy." He crossed the room, pulled out a chair and sat down in front of Lois.

"Where's Kara?"

"She's safe, don't worry."

Lois scoffed. "I highly doubt anyone is safe around you Lex. Now tell me where she is."

"You'll be joining her soon enough. I'm not a complete monster Lois, I can see that Kara needs some company. It's a long wait but once that baby is ready…" He let the sentence drift, smiling his brightest smile at her, sending chills right into her heart.

"You honestly think that you can pass that child off as your own? That you can raise it without any of its family coming after you?"

"Well, you won't be much of a problem, Clark's already taken care of and Oliver? Well, he'll just spiral down so far it won't even matter."

Lois shifted in her seat angrily, she would not give Lex the satisfaction of seeing her tears over what he'd done to Clark.

"I want to see her. Somehow I don't trust you when it comes to Kara's safety."

Lex shook his head sadly. "Such distrust Lois. You have always known that I am a man of my word."

"Yeah, okay. So that's why you've already had several attempts on your life and once Oliver finds us here, I'll be giving him a helping hand to finish what he started all those years ago when he blew you up. Man I wish that had been the real you."

"Well now I'm just hurt." he replied, standing up. He turned to the guards and nodded his head. "Take her downstairs." He looked over his shoulder at her. "Enjoy your stay Lois, it may be a while. One way or another, I always get what I want."

Lois struggled as they released her bindings and carried her out of the room, but since there were three of them, she had no chance of fighting them off.

They took her into the kitchen and through a doorway, which she assumed led to the basement. Did they have basements in England? Whatever it was, it was dark and oddly scary down there.

"Let go of me!" she shouted, struggling again. The three men paused halfway down the stairs, shrugged and dropped her. She went bouncing down the remaining steps, feeling the bruises already by the time she reached the bottom.

She sat up groggily and looked around. Straight in front of her, was a bed. Gasping out loud, she got up and ran over to the still form lying on it, barely registering the door being slammed above them.

"Kara! Oh God, Kara can you hear me?" She placed her hands on either side of Kara's face and leaned in close. She looked awfully pale, and there were black circles under her eyes. Something she had never seen on Kara, ever, and it was a shocking sight.

"Lois?" She cracked one eye open, but she looked so weak even that seemed like it was hard to do. "You can't be here. You're not real."

"I am sweetie, it's me."

Both of Kara's eyes opened now and the shock was beginning to register on her face. "Lois! Oh my God, you wouldn't believe how glad I am to see you right now." With a sudden surge of strength, she reared up and hugged Lois, and then, she started crying.

"Ssh, it's okay, I've got you. I'm here." Lois whispered, stroking her hair.

"I thought I was never going to see you again."

"We've all been so worried about you, we never stopped searching." Lois did a quick check, making sure that Kara was unharmed. "Are you okay?"

She shook her head slowly. "No, there's Kryptonite somewhere in this room. I can't find it."

"Why would Lex put that in here? He knows it could harm the baby he so obviously wants to get his hands on." she replied, barely keeping the anger out of her voice.

"So I can't escape. Its not enough to hurt me, but I've been in here for weeks Lois, its weakening me."

Lois' heart almost broke for her, she looked so defeated, yet she held on for her babies.

"It's okay, I'm gonna get us out of here."

"How?"

She tapped her ear and pointed to the stairs, indicating that she didn't want to be overheard. "We have help coming, I promise."

"Oliver?" The hope in her eyes nearly crushed Lois, but she took a deep breath, smiled and nodded.

"How did you end up here?" Kara asked, frowning, holding a hand to her aching head. Then her eyes widened. "Oh no, Phoebe!"

"Calm down, she's safe. She's at the Fortress with Martha and no one's getting in there."

The sudden worried look on Kara's face had Lois freezing. "What?"

"Lex knows where the Fortress is Lois. He's been there before. When he tried to control Clark and he ended up destroying it. That's the reason he blames Clark for his scars and his life being ruined."

"But he wouldn't…"

"Wouldn't he? He knows that's the one place Clark would take you to keep you safe. He's got everything planned, every little detail. Don't be surprised if he hasn't planned that already."

Lois shook her head, adamantly. "No, Jor-El said he would protect them. He wouldn't let them get anywhere near her."

Kara tilted her head and grimaced. "Lois, I love you so much and I don't want to hurt or scare you, you're like my sister, so I'm sorry to tell you that Jor-El is just a voice. He can't physically do anything."

A cold feeling swept over Lois as she realised that maybe her leaving the Fortress hadn't been the best idea. But Clark had needed her. What else was she supposed to do?

"It's okay, we're gonna get out of here and…"

"There's something else you don't know." Kara said.

"There's more?"

"Helen,"

"Is she okay?"

"Oh she's more than okay." Kara said bitterly. "She's with them."

"What are you talking about?"

"Lex, he got to her. She's working with him now."

* * *

Back at Watchtower, Clark was literally climbing the walls. He couldn't stand still and it was starting to drive everyone around him crazy. But he didn't care. His whole body itched to get out there and fetch his wife, to bring her back where she belonged.

But Chloe was right, they had to wait until they knew for sure where they were taking her.

"How long is this going to take?" he asked for the fifth time.

"Clark, I can't do anything more." Chloe replied, once again, on a sigh.

Then suddenly, the doors banged open and Oliver stumbled into the room. Jimmy and Clark caught him as he was about to fall.

"Oliver, what happened?" Clark asked as they sat him down on the sofa.

Oliver held a hand to his bleeding forehead and took a moment to catch his breath. "I'm sorry Clark, I lost her."

Clark swallowed hard, now she was alone and he was even more scared.

"They took her on a jet. But they must've known I was following because the next thing I know, I'm getting attacked at all angles. I got away but barely. I'm so sorry man." he said, looking into Clark's eyes.

"It's okay Oliver, just sit there and relax for a minute. Get your strength back, something tells me you're gonna need it. Chloe's tracking Lois, we're hoping it will lead us to Kara." Clark said, pushing his anger at Oliver down for now. But as soon as this was over, they were going to have a little talk about him letting Lois walk into the line of fire.

"I think we have something." Chloe said, typing frantically. "Oh no…"

"What?" Clark stormed over to her. "What is it?"

Chloe turned and looked up at Clark. "They've taken her to England Clark."

Clark's eyebrows rose. "England?"

"Yeah, I don't know what's going on, but that's where she is."

Clark turned back to Oliver. "Come on,"

"Wait, I need to call and get my jet ready."

"We don't have time for that Oliver!" Clark yelled. "I'll fly you there my…" He stopped suddenly and clutched at his head, screaming out.

"Clark! What's wrong?" Chloe ran to his side as he fell to the floor.

The high-pitched screaming in his ears only got worse and worse until eventually, with no warning, it just stopped. Fearing the worst, he looked up at Chloe.

"Someone's at the Fortress. I've gotta go." He stood up and marched towards the doors, his red cape flowing out behind him.

"Clark wait," Oliver called, standing.

"There's no time Oliver. Get your plane in the air, now! Get to Kara and Lois, I'll meet you there."

And with that, he took off, faster than he had ever flown before.

**_To Be Continued..._**


	53. Chapter 52

_**Chapter Fifty Two**_

Clark arrived at the Fortress less than fifteen minutes later. All was silent as he walked inside, no alarms going off, no voices, nothing. He walked into the main chamber and paused at the control panel. The crystals were glowing red, and flashing. Someone had been in here.

"Jor-El!" he yelled. "Where are they? Are they okay?"

"I'm afraid not, my son. I am sorry, I tried to protect her."

"Her?" His gut clenched in fear. Did Lex now have Phoebe too? "What happened?"

"You have a great enemy in Lex Luthor, Kal-El. He will not be beaten easily. His men attacked the Fortress, I had no way to protect your earth mother."

"Oh no, mom. Where is she?"

"In the bed chambers. She is gravely injured, you must take her to a hospital Kal-El, it is beyond my capacity to heal her now."

He raced through to the bedroom and stopped dead. His mother was lying on the bed, looking very pale and there was blood seeping through her sweater.

"Mom!" He dived to her side, crouched down and lifted the sweater slightly, to find an open wound that looked like it had been made with a knife. But the bleeding had stopped. Lifting her into his arms gently, Clark walked back out to the main chamber.

"What happened?"

"Martha was indeed brave. She fought them off quite well. But she did not see the danger she was in. I healed her as much as I could, Kal-El."

_That's why the bleeding's stopped_, Clark thought.

"Where's my daughter?" he yelled, scared out of his wits that Lex was anywhere near his little baby girl.

"She is safe, my son. Before the men attacked, I instructed Martha to place the baby in here."

There was a hissing sound as some crystals parted to reveal an opening, almost like a hatch. And then the sound of Phoebe's cries filled the Fortress and Clark felt a huge surge of relief. Laying his mother down carefully for just a moment, Clark picked Phoebe up and checked her over.

"Are you okay? Oh, it's okay daddy's here. I won't let anything happen to you baby girl." Phoebe's screams continued as her little face scrunched up. But Clark couldn't calm her now, he had to get his mom to the hospital.

Arranging both of them carefully in his arms, Clark was about to fly off.

"Kal-El, leave the baby with me. She will be safe."

"Yeah, you said that earlier. You sent my wife into danger, my mom could be dying, so forgive me if I don't share your confidence in my daughter being safe with you." His tone was dark, angry.

"Your wife was determined to save you, my son. She loves you deeply. I could not argue with her any longer."

"It doesn't matter. Lex has her now. And if anything happens to her, or my mom, you and I…we're finished."

It took a lot to say that to the man that had trained him and helped shape him into the man he now was. But Clark had to think of his family. And Jor-El, sad as it was, just didn't fit into that category anymore.

He knew that there should've been a way to prevent the attackers from even getting into the Fortress, so why had Jor-El not done more to protect his mother?  
Clark didn't have time to figure it out, he had places to be.

* * *

Lois and Kara sat on the bed in the dreary basement, trying to figure out their next move. The first attack hadn't gone so well and had only resulted in Lois being knocked out for a little while. So now, she just had a sore head, and a massive headache to go along with it.

Where the hell was Ollie? And Clark? Was he okay, did he still have some Kryptonite in his system? What was taking them so long? She glanced over at Kara, who was looking worse now. She had to get her out of this room, it was slowly killing her. And who knew what it was doing to the babies.

"Hey, stay with me here Kara, we're gonna get out of this."

"Lois," Kara smiled sadly, and squeezed Lois' hand. "You're determined, I'll give you that. But it's no use. He has us right where he wants us. You forget, I've been here long enough to know what's going on and there _is_no way out of here."

Lois frowned, that wasn't the kind of talk she usually heard from Kara. "Hey, don't go giving up now. I'm not gonna let anything else happen to you, okay?"

She said it with such force that Kara had no choice but to nod back at her, though Lois could tell that she didn't really believe her.

Lois hugged her tightly, and as she did she felt the babies kicking against her own ribs. "Wow, they're really strong."

"I know." Kara replied, tears in her eyes. "Every day I keep hoping to feel them kicking, that nothing's wrong with them. I can't lose them now Lois, I know I wasn't prepared to be a mother, that I was scared. But I'm more scared of being without them now. I may not have met them yet, but I can't imagine what it would be like if they weren't there. You know?"

"I know exactly what you mean," Lois replied, holding back her own tears. _That's it_, she thought. _We're getting out of here, now_.

She stood up and ran up the stairs before she had time to talk herself out of it. She threw herself at the door with all her might and then cursed at the blinding pain she got in her shoulder as a result. But she wouldn't let that deter her. She threw herself at it again and again, until finally, she heard the lock click on the other side.

Preparing herself, Lois crouched and flung herself at the person who opened the door. Both of them went bouncing down the stairs and when they hit the bottom, Lois cracked one eye open to see who she'd landed on top of.

"You!" she spat. "Oh you are so dead lady." She grabbed a fistful of Helen's hair and was about to ram her head into the concrete.

"Lois, wait!" Helen shouted. "Please, it's not what you think!"

"Where have I heard that before?" Lois asked, feeling her hatred for this woman bubble to the surface. How could she have trusted her? She shouldn't have listened to Clark. This woman was devious and manipulative and she had managed to fool Clark, maybe even Oliver too. But Lois would never trust her again.

"Please! I swear, it's not what it looks like. I had no choice."

"You always have a choice! It's a simply choice really, be an evil *****, or not. There, simple."

"Lex put a bomb in me." Helen yelled, grabbing Lois' wrist to keep her from pulling her hair.

"What? _In_you?" It was enough to make Lois hesitate for a second.

"He said that it would be the perfect way to keep me in line and make me do what he wanted. Because if it goes off, not only will I be killed, but…" she trailed off as her eyes flitted over to Kara.

Lois closed her eyes to fight off the memory of being held by Daniel, knowing that she had that thing in her chest, that she was about to die. She'd never been so scared in her life. But was Helen telling the truth?

"How do I know you're not just lying so I won't rearrange your face?" she asked, pulling a little tighter on Helen's hair.

"Because I would never betray you like that. You know that, I swore to it. But Lex needs me to deliver these babies, because I know them, I know Kara. The doctor he has is useless."

Slowly, Lois let go of Helen and allowed her to stand, but she stayed behind her, ready to act if she was wrong. But something was telling her that Helen wasn't lying.

"I was trying to buy us some more time, but Lex is no fool. He used what Tess did to you to keep me in line. Knowing that I couldn't do anything because he has the controls. I'm sorry Lois, I know what this looks like but I promise you, I'm not working with him."

"The problem Helen, is that I can no longer trust a word you say. Just go away, run back to your puppet master, please. I can't even look at you."

Lois sat back down on the bed, now nursing an even bigger headache than before and watched as Helen shook her head sadly and walked back up the stairs.

"Do you think she's telling the truth?" Kara asked.

"I don't know." Lois replied, still staring at the door Helen had just closed. "Please hurry up Clark."

* * *

Clark burst through the doors of Watchtower with a loud bang, scaring both Chloe and Jimmy.

"What happened?" Chloe asked, running over, noting the way Phoebe was crying and the blood on Clark's suit. "Is she hurt?"

"No, she's fine. But my mom's in the hospital."

"What?" Jimmy said, the shock registering on his face as he looked at the blood. Since Jor-El had stopped the bleeding, there wasn't much of it, but it was still enough to look worrying.

"They were attacked by Lex's men. Jor-El didn't, or couldn't, protect her. But he made sure that she'd hidden Phoebe so that they couldn't find her."

"Thank God. Is your mom gonna be okay?"

Clark ran a shaky hand through his hair. If he never saw the inside of a hospital again, it would be too soon. "I think so, they said the wound wasn't deep enough to need surgery and there was no internal bleeding. They were baffled actually that there wasn't that much damage. I need you to watch Phoebe for me."

Chloe took her screaming niece and cradled her against her chest. "But why…?"

"The Fortress isn't safe enough, I figure with all the security here, there's no way Lex's entourage will get in here." Clark shook his head angrily. "I should've brought them here in the first place. Then none of this would've happened."

"You can't blame yourself for this man," Jimmy said, slapping him on the shoulder. "How could you have known? You thought the safest place was the Fortress."

Clark nodded but didn't respond. "Where's Oliver?"

"He's almost there, breaking every law known to man to do it." Chloe replied. "Has she been crying like this the whole time?" she asked, rocking Phoebe back and forth, but the little girl was clearly upset and wouldn't be pacified.

"She knows something's wrong. I think she's very intuitive." Clark said, smoothing a tender hand over her little head. He leaned down and kissed her and then walked to the doors.

"Keep her safe Chloe, please."

"I will. Clark," He stopped and turned back to look at her. "What are you gonna do?"

Clark looked at Phoebe, felt his heart being pulled in so many different directions. He wanted to be at the hospital with his mom, he wanted to hold his little girl and give her the comfort she so desperately needed, but he had to get to Lois and Kara. He needed to know that his wife and cousin were okay.

With a resolute nod of his head, he tipped his chin up. "I'm going to get my family back. This ends now!"

**_To Be Continued..._**


	54. Chapter 53

_**Chapter Fifty Three**_

Oliver paused outside the house that he believed Kara and Lois to be in. Every nerve in his body was on high alert, every cell screaming at him to just run in there and get his wife. But he had to be sensible here, Clark was on his way, Chloe had just told him when she'd called to confirm that this was indeed where Lois was being kept.

He couldn't go bursting in there now without backup, he didn't know how many of Lex's men were in there. It had been so long since he'd held Kara in his arms, he missed her so much. It was killing him to wait, but he wouldn't risk her safety, or Lois' by charging in and screwing things up.

He quickly ducked behind some bushes as he heard the back door open and two men came out, smoking cigarettes. They leaned against the wall, nonchalantly, as if they didn't have a care in the world.

That made Oliver angry. This was just a job to them, they were being paid to ruin people's lives, but to him, well, his whole life was in that house. Assuming of course, that Lex had brought Lois to the same place he was keeping Kara, but Oliver refused to think anything else. It was too much at the moment.

"Can you believe her?" One of the men asked, his heavy English accent making itself known.

The other guy, a tall but slender man, blew out a steady stream of smoke before speaking. "She's a spitfire alright. Did you see the shiner she gave Dominic? I'm going to steer clear of that one."

"Me too, if he thinks I'm going near her, he's not paying me enough."

_Lois_, they had to be talking about her. Oliver moved forward slightly, ready to attack, it may be his only way to get inside. But a strong hand on his shoulder, stopped him dead in his tracks. He spun around, arms raised ready to defend himself. Then he sighed in relief.

"Bout time you showed up." he whispered harshly. Clark's face fell and Oliver felt bad, something had obviously happened. "Phoebe?"

"She's okay. But my mom was hurt pretty badly. She's in the hospital."

"Sorry man."

Clark shook his head and looked towards the house. "So what are we up against here?"

"I don't know how many are in there, I was kinda waiting for you to tell me. There's two over there on the porch smoking."

Clark nodded as he clocked them, and then focused his eyes on the house. X-ray vision was a remarkable thing, Oliver thought, sometimes wishing he had that ability himself.

"I don't see anyone upstairs, there's three men sitting in a room to the right, a woman and…" He trailed off, a look of anger appearing.

"Clark? What is it?"

"Helen. She's standing with a woman, talking about Kara. We've gotta get in there Oliver, now."

"Wait a second, do you see Kara and Lois anywhere?"

Clark looked again, but shook his head. "No, but there's lead around the basement. My bet is that's where he's keeping them."

"We can't just go rushing in Clark, Lex will be prepared for that. He'll have what it takes to stop you, I'm sorry, I know it's a little on the nose to hear that but I need you with me here. I can't do this alone."

Clark frowned in thought for a moment and then looked back at the house. "Then we need a plan."

* * *

"Kara? Hey, sweetie come on, wake up." Lois murmured, shaking Kara gently. She had been sleeping for the past few hours, barely rousing when Lois had tried to wake her.

Lois had been around the entire room three times, she couldn't find the Kryptonite anywhere. But it had to be in here somewhere, because Kara was getting weaker and weaker by the minute. She needed to get her out of here. But how?

"Lois?" Kara groaned, holding a hand to her head.

"Yeah, it's me. Come on, I need you to get up for a minute so that I can check something."

"What?"

"I can't find the Kryptonite, I think it might be either in the walls, or in your bed. Come on." She helped her up, and sat her down across the room.

She stripped the bed down, feeling every inch of the mattress and the bedding. Nothing. Just as she grabbed one of the pillows, the door opened and she said a silent prayer, hoping it was Lex. She really wanted a piece of him right now. But as she turned to see who it was, anger filled her to the brim.

"What do you want?" she asked icily.

"Lois, please. I just want to talk." Helen replied, holding her hands up.

"I already told you I have nothing to say to you."

"And I told you the truth. I have no choice." The two women faced off, Lois glaring, Helen cowering. Eventually, Helen moved closer to Lois.

"Here, give me your hand." Before Lois could protest, Helen had grabbed her hand and held it flat against her chest, just under her collar bone. "There, feel that? If I don't do as he asks, he will detonate this thing. I thought you of all people would understand just how scary that thought is. I can't remove it, because it will go off, I'm stuck with this thing inside me and I'm not sure I want to die just yet."

Lois moved her fingers a little, felt the little lump underneath her skin. "That could be anything. You expect me to believe that you're not involved with Lex again? How many times is this going to happen?"

"No more, I can promise you that." she replied, and Lois couldn't read the expression on her face.

"What are you up to?" Lois asked, feeling a little of her anger fade, but her guard was still up. And probably always would be around this woman.

"I have a plan, don't worry Lois. He's not going to get away with doing all of this. You're good people, you don't deserve what he's done to you all."

Then without another word, she turned and walked back up the stairs, leaving Lois more confused than ever. But she just couldn't let herself believe that Helen was one of the good guys anymore.

* * *

"So we're in agreement…" Lex said, talking to Helen and Lisa in the study. "Two weeks from now, we can take the baby?"

Helen and Lisa shared a fearing glance. "I'm not sure Lex. I don't know if the baby will survive that early on." Helen said, wondering if sharing the news that Kara was indeed carrying twins would delay Lex's plan for a little while longer. But she kept her mouth shut.

"Which is why I have paid a high price for the equipment you specifically asked for." Lex narrowed his eyes at her. "I know you're not on board with all this Helen, but you really don't have a choice anymore do you? Not unless you want to join your husband."

Helen pushed the anger down, for now, she would need it later but it would do her no good now.

"Good, then we're all on the same page." Lex said with a smirk that she so badly wanted to smack off his face. He walked to the door and opened it, waiting for the two of them to leave. She turned back to Lex, her hatred seething for all the world to see.

"I hate you Lex Luthor. You're going to get what's coming to you. And I will gladly be there when that day comes, front row seat and everything."

Lex said nothing, just smiled and closed the door in her face. She let out a frustrated sigh and walked through to the living room. She stopped dead just inside the doorway, the five men that Lex had hired to do so much that she didn't even want to think about, were all sitting in the middle of the room, unconscious and tied up. All of them except Daniel. She had no idea where he was, she hadn't seen him for hours.

_He's here_, she thought. _Clark's here_.

* * *

Oliver moved slowly but with purpose over the roof of the house, trying to find a way in. Clark had already dealt with the hired help, and he was now going after Lex. Oliver's job was to get to Kara and Lois. Because neither of them knew if the room they were being kept in was booby trapped for Clark or not. Knowing Lex, they couldn't take the chance.

Spotting an overhanging balcony just below him, Oliver jumped and landed softly, staying low just in case anyone was inside. The room appeared to be empty so he broke the lock and walked carefully inside. Slowly, he made his way out of the room and down the hall, his ears pricked up for any sounds of movement or footsteps coming his way.

With his crossbow at the ready, Oliver began descending the stairs.

* * *

Lex was feeling very happy. His plan was starting to come to fruition. Pretty soon he was going to be a father. Well, if you could call raising two alien children being a father. He was pretty sure that one day, those children would grow up to be just like their parents, and Lex had major plans for them.

But on the off chance that they never developed powers, since they were technically half-human and all, at least he would have their DNA. So it wouldn't be a total loss. Yes, Lex was very happy indeed.

Draining the last of his whiskey, he stood up and left the study, crossing over to the living room. He couldn't believe his eyes when he saw his men tied up in the middle of the room, and two thoughts went through his mind. First, was that he probably should've hired better help, and second, was that Clark was very much alive.

Superman was here, and he was coming for Lex. He ran back into his study and over to his desk, searching in his drawers for something. Then the door slammed shut and he came face to face with the man of steel himself, and boy Clark was pissed.

** _To Be Continued..._**


	55. Chapter 54

_**Chapter Fifty Four**_

"Where are they?" Clark asked, in a low, menacing voice. He clearly meant business here, Lex could respect that. After all, he had kidnapped most of the man's family. But Lex would do well to remember that Clark was no mere 'man', he was much more than that.

"Clark, so nice of you to drop by. I must say it's a little bit of a surprise." he said, placing his hands behind his back.

"Oh, you mean because I'm meant to be dead?" Clark said, his anger barely being kept in check. "Sinking to the bottom of the river, buried in a crate? Lex, it's not that easy to get rid of me."

"It would appear not. I know you probably thought that was a little harsh, but really, what else did you expect. I needed you out of the way."

"To get to my family."

Lex shrugged, standing his ground as Clark started stepping closer to him. Lex had to admit, that in his Superman persona, Clark was a formidable force. But there was one thing he couldn't fight against and Lex was glad that he'd learned that little tidbit.

"Well, if you think about it Clark, this is really all down to you." Lex said, pointing out his scars.

"I don't want to talk Lex. You've caused enough people enough pain. This ends now. Where's Kara and Lois?"

Just a little further, Lex thought to himself, waiting, biding his time. Then as Clark stepped in range, Lex swung his fist out, catching Clark off guard. He knocked him to the ground, falling on top of him. Raising his fist again, he saw Clark's eyes register the huge green rock in his hand.

* * *

"Do you think she's telling the truth?" Kara asked, sitting in the chair opposite Lois at the little table in the basement.

"I don't know. I want to believe it, but I just can't. She's screwed with our minds too many times."

"Lex did try to have her killed. He had her shot, she almost died Lois."

"So?"

Kara rolled her eyes, which was about as much energy as she could muster at the moment. "So, maybe she is innocent."

"I thought so too. She swore to me that she was. But then this happened. You can't tell me that it's a coincidence Kara."

Kara shook her head. "No I don't think it is. But what if we're wrong?"

Lois opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by the sound of the door opening again. "Great, now what?"

She got up to put herself between Kara and whoever it was coming down. Two black boots appeared, slowly followed by some green leather and then the hood. Lois had never been so pleased to see Oliver in her life.

"Oliver!"

"Lois! Are you okay?" he asked, ripping his hood down and tearing off his glasses. She nodded as he gave her a quick assessment with his eyes and then he froze.

"Kara!" Lois had never seen him move so fast. She stood back, watching the reunion with tears in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry Kara." Oliver whispered, hugging his wife fiercely. "I'm sorry."

Kara hugged him back just as tightly, her face wet with her tears. "Oh God, Ollie, is it really you? You're really here?"

He pulled back to look at her. Cupping her cheek he kissed her, softly, yet the kiss spoke of the time apart they'd spent over the last few weeks.

"I've missed you so much." he said, kissing her again.

"We've missed you too." she replied, rubbing her bump. Oliver looked down and placed his hand over hers.

"Are they okay? Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"

"They're fine, I'm…okay, and no he didn't."

Oliver's eyes narrowed. "Why did you hesitate? Kara, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, really I'm okay. I just can't believe you're here. I've waited so long to see you, I just…" Kara's words failed her as she hugged him again, it was almost as if she needed to keep touching him, to really confirm that he wasn't part of her imagination. Lois could relate to that.

"You look pale." Oliver said, taking in her complexion.

"There's Kryptonite somewhere in this room Ollie, we need to get Kara out of here." Lois spoke up because it was clear that Kara wasn't going to. And she couldn't think why.

"Kryptonite!"

Kara put her palms on his chest. "Calm down, it's only a little. Just enough to keep me weak, but not enough to actually hurt me."

Oliver exploded. "I'm going to kill him! How could he do that to you? He knows that stuff can kill you!"

"Exactly, and if he wanted to, he would have by now. Please Ollie, please don't do anything stupid here." Kara begged and Lois knew why she hadn't mentioned the Kryptonite now.

She was scared of what Oliver would do to Lex. After all this time, she still worried about the mistake Oliver had made in the past? Lois, for one, would love to see Oliver go for Lex. Someone had to teach him, he couldn't play with people's lives like this.

Oliver took in a deep breath and Lois could see he was trying hard to control his anger. He put an arm around Kara, and guided her over to the stairs. "Come on, let's get you two out of here."

"Um Oliver?" Lois hadn't wanted to interrupt the moment before but she was desperate to know. "Where's Clark?"

Oliver turned back to her and the look on his face gave her chills. "He's going after Lex."

"What? Here? Oliver, we have to help him."

Oliver helped Kara up the stairs. "He's Superman, Lois, I'm sure he can handle Lex Luthor."

"Lex has already tried to kill him once and almost succeeded, so excuse me if I don't share in your confidence." she yelled, following them up the stairs. "You know he has Kryptonite. Or did you forget that we had to pull a piece of it out of Clark's back earlier today?"

"I know!" Oliver said, pausing to turn around and look at her. "But he made me promise to get to you two first. I'll find him Lois, I swear, but I need to get you two to safety."

Well, arguing with Oliver was going to get her nowhere and they were running out of time. Upstairs, out in the kitchen area, Kara blinked hard to get her eyes to adjust to the lighting. It had been so dark in that basement. Lois went around her other side and put an arm around her.

Together, Lois and Oliver got her outside. Kara drew in a deep breath of fresh air for the first time in weeks and the look on her face was one of relief.

"Going somewhere princess?" A voice came from the shadows, stopping them all in their tracks. Slowly Lois turned to see who it was. _Daniel_.

"Lois, get her out of here. Now." Oliver murmured, stepping in front of them and adopting a fighting stance as Daniel started coming closer.

"Leaving so soon? But the party's just getting started. All the guests have arrived." He had a smile on his face, he was clearly enjoying this. Tess certainly knew how to pick them, Lois thought.

"Be careful Ollie." she whispered, leading Kara away.

* * *

Lex chuckled as another punch connected with Clark's chin. "You know, it's amazing how much of this stuff is simply lying around Clark. You would've thought, being _allergic_ as it were, to the stuff, that you would've found a way to get rid of it all by now."

He hit Clark again, watching as his head lolled back and forth. He'd seen the pain that this rock had caused before, knew that Clark wouldn't be able to hold it together for long. Yet Clark's eyes were still fierce, angry, and…glowing?

Before he could even think about moving, Lex felt his hand start to burn and he cried out as he dropped the rock. It rolled away from him, stopping as it hit the wall under one of the bookcases. As he dived after it, he felt Clark's hands around his arms, hauling him up and turning him to face him. Clark slammed him against the bookcase, rattling the books so hard that some of them actually fell off.

"Just tell me!" Clark yelled and for the first time, Lex was actually a little afraid. Clark could quite easily kill him if he wanted to and heck, from the look on his face, it was clear to see that he wanted to.

But Lex knew Clark. He would never take another man's life. Never. It just wasn't in him to do it. And that was why he was going to lose, Lex thought.

"You know they're here. Why are you even asking?"

"Why Lex? Why do this? I always knew you had this…this evil inside you, I just never thought you would be capable of something like this."

"Why?" Lex shouted, getting angry now. "I'll tell you why. Because you have everything Clark. The perfect life. You're an alien! You don't belong here, and you don't deserve this life!"

"I was raised on this planet, and I'm more human than you will ever be."

"Such conviction. You may have been raised here, but that doesn't change your DNA or the fact that you're starting to breed your alien spawn!"

"Don't talk about my daughter like that!" Clark yelled, his eyes starting to glow again.

Lex shrunk back, scared of getting burned again. Clark was on the edge and if Lex pushed him, he just might find out the answer to whether or not Clark would actually kill.

"Why not? It's true. You and Kara, both having families, it makes me sick. To think that those children could grow up like you,"

"And your plan was to raise them yourself? Then how would they have turned out? Evil? Corrupt, just like you?"

"At least they would know who they really were. They'd be reminded every day of how much this world would despise them if they knew the truth."

"They're babies Lex, not monsters."

Lex shrugged. "Depends on your definition."

Clark let out a low growl, he couldn't stand hearing Lex talking about his little girl like this, he wanted to hurt him so badly. Yet that was exactly what Lex wanted him to do, wasn't it?

What exactly was he planning? Clark dropped him hard, so that he landed with a thud on the floor. He needed to get his strength back, the Kryptonite may not be near him, but it was in the same room and he was feeling its effects.

He realised his mistake as soon as he felt the pain worsen. He turned, Lex was standing, holding out the rock, smiling, and as he got closer, Clark felt worse and worse.

Lex knocked him to the ground again, and then out of nowhere, there was a loud bang and Lex flew to the floor. Clark's eyes widened for a second. What had just happened?

** _To Be Continued..._**


	56. Chapter 55

_**Chapter Fifty Five**_

"It's been a while Mr Queen." Daniel sneered, and for a second Oliver panicked. He'd forgotten to put his hood back up. Great, now he knew who he was. They both circled each other for a few moments, each one sizing the other up but Oliver was more than ready for his attack. Daniel might have thought that by talking to him, he was distracting him, but Oliver knew his plan.

"Yeah, I thought we'd gotten rid of you a long time ago." Oliver replied, remembering very well, the day that Daniel had almost killed Lois.

"What can I say? The boss appreciates good work. Though I have to ask, what is it about the Kents that had Tess and now Lex, so interested in them? I mean, they're just normal people with normal lives…oh wait, that's right. Clark is our very own _Superman._" He shook his head and laughed. "Man the press would pay me a butt load if I could get proof."

"Not gonna happen, I'm afraid." Oliver replied.

Daniel shrugged. "Still, a guy can dream." His eyes took on a far away look and he was smiling as if thinking about all the money he could earn. And then, without even moving his body, his arm swung out and Oliver felt a blinding, red hot pain in his upper arm.

There was a gash in his leather, with blood slowly starting to leak out. He backed away from the knife Daniel was now brandishing like a sword, and thought about his options. As Daniel took another swing at him, Oliver ducked down low, threw his leg out and knocked Daniel's legs out from under him.

He crashed to the floor onto his back, knocking the wind out of him, and the knife out of his hand. But he soon recovered, doing a back flip to get to his feet that made Oliver blink in surprise.

"You so called superheroes think you own this planet. Lex is right, you're all freaks."

"Takes one to know one. And you might wanna think about why your employer is doing all this."

"I don't really care, as long as I get paid."

"Tell me," Oliver said breathlessly. "Is ruining peoples lives fun? Or is it simply about the money?"

Daniel smiled, and it made Oliver's blood run cold. "The money is awesome man! You can't earn that kind of cash anywhere else. And plus, it is kinda fun whooping your-"

Oliver didn't give him a chance to finish his sentence, he leapt forward, grabbed Daniel and his momentum carried them both through one of the fences at the edge of the garden.

* * *

"Clark…" Helen's voice came from the doorway, and as he turned his head, he registered the gun in her hands.

"Helen, what are you doing?" he asked weakly, as the Kryptonite was lying next to him and he no longer had the strength to move it.

"I'm doing what should've been done a long time ago, Clark." She didn't take her eyes off Lex, and Clark could see the seething hatred she had for the man. Lex struggled to a sitting position, holding a hand over the gaping wound in his shoulder. He laughed, a pained sound, but a laugh nonetheless.

"Helen, I was wondering when you would eventually do it. Didn't actually think you would, but…"

He reached into his pocket and brought out a little black square object. "But I would drop the gun if I were you sweetheart."

Helen's eyes narrowed on the detonator, but she stood her ground. "You killed my husband, you have hurt almost every member of Clark's family, you're evil Lex. Pure evil."

"Well, you were married to me once." he reminded her with a wink.

"No I wasn't. I don't remember those days at all. They're not even a distant memory because the truth is Lex, you are impossible to love."

That stopped Lex smiling almost instantly. His icy stare landed on Helen and he struggled to his feet. "Then why did you marry me?"

"I think a more important question is, why didn't I make sure you were dead when I tried to kill you in that plane crash?" She gave Lex such a look of utter contempt.

"Look at you Lex, how could anyone ever love you? You say these babies are monsters because of their DNA, but yet, when I look at you, all I see is a monster. A black, soulless pit of despair that is only jealous of others for having the happiness he once wanted. What happened to you Lex?"

Lex's eyes flashed and his nostrils flared with anger. Though he tried to hide it, Clark could see that Helen's words were getting to him.

"So Clark found out you were helping me and now you're trying to get out of our little arrangement by staging this little rescue? Cute Helen, very cute."

Clark glanced up at Helen and he saw her look down, nervously at him. Was Lex telling the truth?

"You can lie all you want Lex, I'm through trying to convince Clark that I'm innocent. You've managed to destroy everything in my life, I have nothing left to lose."

"So you came in here to kill me, is that it?"

"If that's what it takes to stop you." Helen held her chin up, but Clark could see her hands shaking.

He rolled over onto his side, trying hopelessly to get up. Helen was not a murderer, Clark knew that much about her. Even if she was involved in all this, she didn't deserve what Lex would undoubtedly do to her.

"Then do it. Pull the trigger. You and I both know you're not capable of cold blooded murder."

"No, that's your department isn't it? Just tell me Lex, why did you kill him?"

"Who? Oh you mean your husband? Well, Helen, you knew me well enough to know that I wouldn't take what you tried to do to me lying down. I had to get even with you somehow. You tried to take my life away from me, so I did the same to you."

Helen walked forward, slowly, until eventually, she was standing right in front of Lex, with the gun pressed against his chest.

"This is it Lex, this is where I stop you. For good this time."

Lex pressed himself harder onto the barrel of the gun. "Come on Helen, pull that trigger. I didn't think twice about offing your true love, your one and only. Do it."

Helen's finger squeezed the trigger lightly, but her hands were starting to shake really badly. Clark couldn't let her do this.

"Helen, don't! This isn't you." He managed to get to his knees and crawl away from the poisonous rock lying beside him, hating himself for this weakness.

"Since the day I found out that Lex killed him, all I wanted was justice for my husband, Clark. I'm sure you can understand that. This man has hurt your wife, your family, he's done so many terrible things. He deserves to pay."

"Not like this Helen. Killing him won't solve anything and you'll be lowering yourself to his standards. Please, put the gun down."

Helen shook her head, all the while keeping her eyes on Lex. She hadn't looked away from him once since she'd entered the room. "No. I put this gun down, seconds later he's pressing that button, killing me anyway. No, if I'm going down, I'm taking you with me Luthor."

Lex's mouth curved up into a sardonic smile. "Well, if that's your choice."

Clark knew what Lex was going to do and he knew that he couldn't let it happen. But before he could get to him, Lex pressed the little button on the box he was holding.

* * *

Oliver didn't give Daniel a chance to recover as they both landed in a heap of wood on the other side of the fence. He started punching him, hard. But he didn't see Daniel's hand sneaking outwards, grabbing a piece of wood and…smack!

He hit him right in the face, and Oliver felt the blood start to trickle from a cut above his eye. His head spun a little as he struggled to his feet but was again, met with the piece of wood, this time, knocking him to the ground.

Daniel stood over him, wood raised and about to bring it down when something, or someone crashed into him from behind. It took both Daniel and Oliver a minute to realise what had happened. Then Oliver smiled.

Lois was standing there, with a rather heavy looking two by four in her hands. How had she even managed to lift that thing let alone swing it, Oliver thought.

Lois blew some of her hair out of her eyes and stared down at Daniel. "That's for trying to blow me up." She swung the wood again as Daniel tried to get up, knocking him unconscious. "And that's for trying to kill my husband. _No one_ messes with my family."

Satisfied that he was out for the count and would be for a while yet, Lois reached out a hand and helped Oliver up. "Thanks Lois."

"No problem, just rescuing the damsel in distress, you can shower me with gifts later, right now, your wife is waiting for you."

Oliver smiled, kissed Lois on the cheek and went to find the woman he'd spent far too long without. Kara threw herself at Oliver the minute she saw him emerge.

"Are you okay?" she asked, checking his eye.

He took her hand in his and kissed it. "Now that I have you back, I couldn't be better."

"Where's Lois?" Kara asked. Oliver looked back, Lois was nowhere to be seen. Which could only mean one thing. She'd gone back in the house.

He turned back to Kara and grimaced. "Clark is really going to kill me."

* * *

Clark acted on impulse alone, no time to think, no time to wonder what was happening. He grabbed Helen and shielded her under his body, though he knew that it wouldn't help her much. But nothing happened. No boom, no bang, nothing. The silence that followed, was deafening.

"Clark?" Helen asked, her eyes wild and terrified. Lex's laughter filled the room. Tossing the little black box aside, he picked up the gun that Helen had dropped and pointed it directly at…Clark.

"You son of a…there was no bomb?" Helen shouted.

"Of course not. Tess may have been thinking outside the box when she came up with that plan for Lois, but I didn't want a mess on my hands here. I'm not that stupid Helen."

It took Helen a few minutes to process the fact that she was indeed, still alive. "If you're so smart, why are you pointing a gun at Clark?"

"Because you stole this gun from me Helen, did you not think to check what was inside it?"

Without waiting for an answer, Lex fired the gun and the next thing Clark knew, he was shot. Shot? How? He looked down at his leg, where the bullet had gone in. And the pain was excruciating.

"Meteor rock bullets." Lex said tapping his temple lightly with the gun. He chuckled again and levelled the gun at Clark.

"Lex, stop!" Lois shouted from the doorway. She immediately ran to Clark, distracting Lex's attention long enough for Helen to see a chance. She quickly dived at him and tried to wrestle the gun from his grip. But Lex was strong.

She slammed him back into the bookcase, and punched her fist into his wound, he yelled out but didn't back down. So she brought her knee up to hurt him in the one place where she knew he was vulnerable.

She put all of her might into it and she could've sworn she felt something dislodge. If he managed to get out of here, he was going to be in some serious pain. The look of shocked pain on his face was almost a pleasure for her to see.

Lex fell forward, taking Helen with him and as they landed, another shot went off.

**_To Be Continued..._**


	57. Chapter 56

_**Chapter Fifty Six**_

Lex rolled onto the floor besides Helen, gasping. His shoulder was bleeding, his nether regions hurt like hell but he was still alive. He looked over at Helen, who was lying with her eyes closed and there was blood seeping through her shirt on her chest.

He smiled, she shouldn't have gotten in his way. With a loud groan, he got to his feet and was a little surprised to still see Clark clutching his leg in pain.

"Wow, that tiny bullet really had an impact didn't it?" he teased. Lois stood up and faced him, and the look on her face was enough to freeze hell itself. But not Lex, he was immune to it.

"Now Lois, don't go making this any worse." Before Lex could react, Lois socked him right in the jaw. And she kept going, taking all of her anger out on him.

"I'm going to kill you!" she yelled. "You destroy everything you touch, you're a monster! Leave my family alone!"

"Lois!" Lex heard Clark yelling, and could see him scrambling to get to his feet. Lex smiled, and spat some blood out of his mouth. Then he lashed out and backhanded Lois, she stumbled backwards into Clark, who grabbed a hold of her and kept her with him.

And then, time seemed to stop. Everything became blurry, like slow motion. He registered another loud crack in the air, but it wasn't until he looked down that reality sank in.

He turned and stared, open mouthed, at Helen. She was lying on her front, arms out in front of her, holding the smoking gun.

"You…" Lex faltered, coughed a little and was a little surprised to see more blood coming from his mouth. He fell to his knees, clutching the hole where the bullet had gone right through his heart.

As he landed face first on the floor, his last thought was that this could not be possible. He would not meet his end at the hands of a woman who thought she was better than him.

No, even to go out against the likes of Superman was a worthy death. But this, this wasn't.

The darkness seemed to swirl around him, like a whirlpool that was slowly dragging him down. And suddenly, he was scared. He didn't want to die. But here it was. And there was no light, nobody to greet him. He was alone.

With his last breath, he grabbed Helen's hand, but was too powerless to do anything.

Helen watched, stunned as Lex died before her eyes. In truth, she'd wanted to kill him, but hadn't actually meant to. Death was too good for someone like him. He deserved to be behind bars for the rest of his life. But that wasn't going to happen now was it?

With a feeling of remorse, Helen softly covered Lex's hand with her own. She hated the thought that she had taken another man's life away. No matter how evil that man was.

A silent moment passed and no one said a word, each of them reflecting on what had just happened. And then the pain re-emerged. She gasped out loud and covered her chest, knowing that the bullet must've pierced a lung.

She couldn't draw a breath, and she knew that this was the end for her. But she was okay with that. She would get to see her husband, one more time. And that thought, made her smile.

"Helen, stay with me!" Lois yelled, but Helen was slipping.

"You're gonna be okay, it's not even that bad." Lois was saying, but Helen could hear the tone of her voice. Lois was a terrible liar sometimes. Then she heard more footsteps, voices yelling, and then…nothing.

* * *

Lois and Kara stood outside, hand in hand, watching as Helen was loaded into an ambulance and taken away. The paramedics had said pretty much nothing about Helen's state or whether she would even make it to the hospital and that saddened Lois.

Because she knew now that Helen had been telling the truth. She was innocent, and really, that was all that mattered. She must've been terrified knowing that Lex had put a bomb inside her, then to find out that it wasn't real, Lois shook her head, she just couldn't think about it.

Kara, feeling Lois shiver, put an arm around her shoulders.

"Are you okay?"

Lois scoffed. "Am I okay? You're the one who's been held hostage for weeks. How are you?"

"I'm feeling much better now. I can feel some of my strength starting to return. But that wasn't what I meant, and you know it." Lois stared into Kara's knowing eyes and shrugged her shoulders.

As comforting as Kara was, Lois wanted, no _needed_, her husband's arms around her right now. But Oliver was busy removing the bullet from his leg before anyone knew that Superman had been shot. That would not go down well in the press. Announcing his weakness would only bring them more trouble.

"I'm okay. Really." she added when Kara gave her a disbelieving look.

The next two paramedics to come out of the house were pushing another gurney, only this one carried a body bag. The two women looked on with emotionless faces as Lex was loaded into the ambulance and taken away. He'd been pronounced dead at the scene.

And Lois wanted to feel relieved, she really did. But she just couldn't shake this feeling, a sense of sadness, and it was strange. Why should she feel sad for Lex Luthor. That man had single handedly tried to destroy her family, everyone she loved most in the world.

But knowing that he was now dead, kind of took the edge off that. He wasn't coming back for them, he wasn't coming back, ever.

The last of the police had disappeared along with the ambulances, having already arrested Daniel, the other men and Lisa. Then they'd questioned Kara, Oliver and Lois, so it was now just the four of them.

"Lois!" She closed her eyes, she had never felt so relieved to hear that voice before.

She turned and ran to Clark, launching herself into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist. She didn't even give him a chance to talk, she just kissed him. And he kissed her back with just as much passion and need.

They were both a little breathless by the time she pulled back. He pushed some hair out of her eyes and took a good, long look at her face.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his concern evident as his gaze swept her face.

"I am now. How are you?"

He smiled, and for the first time in a long time, it was a _real_, warm, smile. "I have you in my arms again, I'm perfect."

A coughing sound broke them apart and Lois smiled as Clark let her down. His face as he set eyes on his cousin for the first time in weeks, was overwhelming and a little heartbreaking. Kara ran to him and hugged him and he wrapped his arms around her, burying his head in her shoulder.

"I'm so sorry Kara, I should've been there…"

Kara leaned back and put a finger over his lips. "Don't. I've already crossed that bridge with Ollie and the two of you have nothing to be sorry for. I've missed you all so much!"

That was it, the floodgates opened and Kara began crying.

"Sorry, it's the hormones." she sniffled.

Clark hugged her tighter. "I'm just so glad you're okay. I've missed you."

Oliver put his arm around Lois' shoulder and the two of them watched the reunion with a smile. It was over, Lois thought. Her family was still in one piece, and it was over.

**_To Be Continued..._**


	58. Chapter 57

_**Chapter Fifty Seven**_

Later that evening, after visiting Martha at the hospital, who was awake and relieved to see everyone was okay, Clark and Lois were sitting in the farmhouse, on the sofa, with Phoebe. Clark was holding her close, cuddling her as she slept.

It was such a heart warming sight, and Lois found that with looking at the two of them, she could finally relax. The little girl had apparently been crying all day with Chloe, she hadn't been able to calm her.

But as soon as Lois and Clark had taken her home, she'd opened her little eyes, focused on both of them, and then smiled. Yep, their daughter sure was smart. She'd fallen asleep in Clark's arms not long after that.

"You're tired." Clark said, without taking his eyes off Phoebe.

Lois hadn't even realised that she'd yawned. "Hmm, I guess the day's catching up to me." She laid her head on his shoulder, felt him kiss her hair, and closed her eyes.

"You should go to bed."

"_We_ should go to bed." she replied, raising her head to capture his eyes. "I don't want to be alone tonight Clark. I just want to spend the night in the arms of my husband. Promise me you'll be with me."

"I'm not going anywhere Lois," he said, his eyes boring into hers, letting her know just how worried he'd been about her today. How close he'd come to losing his family.

"I'm sorry about your mom Smallville." He took her hand and squeezed it.

"I just can't believe Jor-El didn't do more to protect her, to protect all of you. And I can't believe he sent you after me when I asked him to keep you safe in the Fortress."

"Well, I didn't exactly give him a lot of choice Clark. He knew he couldn't keep me there against my will and correct me if I'm wrong, but you needed help. Didn't you?"

"That's not the point." he said and from the look on his face, she knew what was coming next.

"Clark, don't…now's not the time."

He nodded. "I know, but you know we're going to talk about it tomorrow."

Sighing, she nodded back. She'd known that he would have something to say about it. "Fair enough. But I had to do it, it was the only way we were ever going to find Kara."

"Maybe, maybe not. Doesn't really matter now does it?" He stood up, carefully positioned his sleeping daughter in his arm, and reached out to Lois with the other. Together, they walked upstairs and into Clark's old bedroom.

Sitting down on the bed, Lois watched as Clark went about putting Phoebe down for the night in her crib, which Martha had kept for babysitting purposes. He really had blossomed into fatherhood, she thought to herself, listening as he hummed a little to get her to go back to sleep as he lay her down.

When he turned around to face her, Lois could see the fatigue on his face. It wasn't very often that Clark got tired, but all this had really taken it out of him. Not knowing what was happening to his cousin, spending every waking moment out looking for her, then almost being killed himself, and knowing that his wife had willingly walked into danger, well, she was surprised he was still standing.

"Come here." she said, reaching out both hands to him. He smiled a little as he sat down next to her, pulling her into a great big bear hug. It was a little hard to breathe, but she wasn't complaining. This was where she wanted to be, where she belonged.

She felt him shudder, and rubbed her hands over his back.

"We're okay Clark." she whispered.

"I could've lost you." he whispered back.

"But you didn't. And we found Kara, and now she's safe. Lex can't hurt us anymore."

"I know that, but it doesn't change what he did. God, Lois, when I woke up at Watchtower to find you gone, I was so angry at you."

"I know."

"I couldn't believe you would even think of doing that. Especially while I was unconscious."

"Would you have let me go if you hadn't been?" Silence. "Exactly, didn't think so. And it worked out, I wasn't hurt and we got Kara. Win, win."

He pulled back and stared at her. "Except the part where I almost had a heart attack because my wife was now in the hands of the man who'd taken my cousin, almost killed my mother, and tried to kidnap my baby daughter. Does that sound like a win, win to you Lois?" There was so much pain in that sentence that Lois didn't know how to respond for a moment.

"I thought we weren't going to talk about this tonight?" she asked, but she could see the glittering of tears in his eyes and she realised how selfish her decision had been.

"You don't get it Lois. Every time you do something like that, you don't think about me."

"That's not true!"

"Isn't it?" he replied, and she could see he was getting a little angry. "You get yourself into situations practically on a daily basis and I know that most of the time, you get yourself out of them but don't you realise what it would do to me if you couldn't? It isn't just your life you risk Lois, it's mine and that little girl's too. Because every time I see you in danger, a part of me dies."

His voice started breaking a little as he spoke. "I don't know what I would do if I ever lost you, Lois. You're my wife, my soul mate, my..._everything_."

"I'm sorry Clark, I didn't think…I'm so sorry." She wrapped her arms around him again, kissing his cheek. "But I'm not going anywhere, I'm staying right here, forever."

"Promise me?" he said, sniffling into her shoulder and it broke her heart.

"I can't promise that, Smallville, you know I can't."

"I can't lose you Lois. It would kill me."

She smiled wryly as she pulled back and cupped his cheek. "I'm right here, with you. And I promise to be more careful from now on."

Clark breathed a heavy sigh of relief and leaned in to kiss her, soft and slow, sweet and tender. He placed a soft kiss on the bruise on her cheek, courtesy of Lex, and then super sped them both out of their clothes.

"Hey!" she protested, glancing down at her naked self. "PJ's?"

He grinned and pulled back the covers. "You don't need them. I want you in my arms, and only you."

Her heart melted at the same time that her skin started to heat up. How did he do that to her? It was one of his many talents, she realised. Getting into bed, she snuggled up close to him and laid her head on his chest. This was her favourite position, listening to his heartbeat.

"Clark?"

"Hmm?" he replied, twirling his fingers through her hair.

"I love you."

He tipped her chin up so that he could look into her eyes. "I love you too. You have no idea how much."

She grinned wickedly at him. "Oh I think I do."

**_To Be Continued..._**


	59. Chapter 58

_**Chapter Fifty Eight**_

"So how are you feeling this morning?" Oliver asked as he set Kara's breakfast in front of her. She smiled up at him and he bent down to give her a kiss. He'd been like this for two days, extra attentive, never leaving her alone for a second.

Normally it would've irritated her, but after the past few weeks of being without him, she couldn't get enough. It had been a little bit of an adjustment, settling back into normal life with him and their apartment, but the morning after that terrible day, Kara had awoken in her own bed, with her husband's strong arms wrapped around her.

Even in his sleep, Oliver hadn't been able to let her go. It was so sweet, the way he was acting. But it also worried her too, Lex was dead, he wasn't going to hurt her anymore, but Oliver acted as if there were danger lurking around every corner. She wasn't sure how long she could deal with that. She had to start leading a normal life at some point. But for now, she was happy to indulge him.

"I'm starving, actually." she replied, digging into the bacon and eggs that Oliver had made for her.

Oliver frowned, it seemed to be a permanent adage to his face these days and she didn't like it. "Didn't they feed you?"

"Of course, I was their baby maker, they had to take care of me, at least until…well you know."

Oliver closed his eyes, and she could tell that he was fighting hard to stay calm.

"Listen Ollie, I know that things are still a little…tense, maybe we should see one of those people."

"People?" he asked as he sat down at the table next to her.

"Yeah, one of those counsellor people. I hear they're really good after a traumatic experience."

Sometimes, her cluelessness about this planet reared its head and Oliver couldn't help but laugh. But she was okay with that, because it was a sound that she had sorely missed.

Oliver took Kara's hand and kissed it. "We don't need to see a counsellor sweetie. We'll be fine."

"Are you sure? Cos you don't seem fine."

"I'll admit, it's taking me a little longer than I thought to get over what Lex did to you but…I'll get there. I promise. Right now, I'm just focusing on you, and having you back. You have no idea how scared I was."

"Oh, I don't know…"

He smacked his forehead. "Right, you do know. You went through worse, I'm sorry. But you know, if you ever want to talk about it, I'm right here."

"And I love you for it Ollie, I really do. But I'm actually okay. Sure I was scared, not really for me, but for our babies. But I never, for one minute, doubted that you and Clark would come get me."

"I looked everywhere for you. Clark was on patrol night and day, he never gave up, but we just couldn't find you. I felt like my heart had been ripped out. I can't believe I was stupid enough to let you get taken in the first place."

She put a hand on his cheek. "Hey, you didn't let me get taken, it happened because Lex is…was devious and he had this planned for a very long time. It's not your fault Ollie, so please stop blaming yourself."

He turned to face her and the intense pain in his eyes, took her breath away. "I love you so much Kara. And these little ones." he said, rubbing her belly. "You three are the best thing to ever happen to me, I never want to find out what my life would be like without you."

She smiled and kissed him. "Well, it's a good thing you never have to then huh? And I love you too Ollie, so much. I'm still a little confused on something though. How did Lois find me? I have to say, I was a little shocked that Clark would let Lois anywhere near Lex. Even if it was to get to me."

Oliver grimaced. "Well, he didn't actually."

That peaked her interest. "Tell me."

Oliver hesitated and she sensed that there was something bigger that she was being kept out of the loop on.

"Oliver, tell me."

* * *

"Ow! What was that for?" Clark grumbled, rubbing the back of his head and trying to dodge the glare Kara was giving him.

"I've been back for two whole days and you didn't tell me that you almost died!"

Clark sighed and sat down at the kitchen table. He glanced out the window at Lois and Chloe playing with Phoebe in the garden of their new house, until Kara smacked him again.

He dodged another hit. "Kara, you still have some of your strength you know?"

"I know that dummy, why do you think I'm hitting you?" she replied tersely, with her hands on her hips.

"You've been spending way too much time around Lois." he murmured.

"Why didn't you tell me, Kal-El?" He was really in trouble now, he thought. She only ever called him that when she was angry.

"Because in the grand scheme of things, it didn't seem important. And besides, I didn't almost die. I was just…incapacitated for a little while."

She let out a bark of laughter. "Incapacitated? Is that what you call Oliver having to pry you out of a locked box several feet under water and then your own wife having to pull a chunk of, oh yeah, the only thing that can kill you, out of your back!"

"Kara, please, calm down. It really isn't as bad as it sounds. Oliver may have been exaggerating."

Kara sat down next to him, still glaring but a little calmer. "I'm your cousin Clark, your family. You should've told me."

"Kara, I didn't want to put any more stress on you. It's not good for the babies and you've been through enough."

"I'm not made of glass. I can handle the truth if people _choose_ to give it to me." she said, with a pointed look at him. Then she sighed. "Just…don't keep things like this from me Clark. I love you, I don't want anything to happen to you."

"Fair enough, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. But it really wasn't that bad, and I'm okay aren't I?"

She nodded, frowning. "But Lois still got herself kidnapped just to find me didn't she?"

Clark's face darkened for a moment before he quickly hid it. "Yes, but she was only doing it because we had no other options. But believe me, I was angry with her for it and if I'd been conscious at the time, I never would've let her do it. I love that woman so much but sometimes, I could just throttle her."

Kara patted his hand and stood up, rubbing her back. "She did it because she's Lois. She's protective of those she cares about. You should know that better than anyone. Don't get me wrong, I hate that she did it too, but if the situation were reversed, I probably would've done the same thing."

Clark nodded, then frowned. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just a little backache, the twins are kicking up a storm."

"Well that's good. Did Emil say everything was okay?"

"Everything's fine as far as he can tell. Since we can't actually see them, we have to go by your hearing and my blood tests. But so far so good."

The back door opened and Lois and Chloe walked in. "Hey Kara, when did you get here?" Lois asked.

"About ten minutes ago, Ollie dropped me off."

"She came to beat me up." Clark murmured, taking Phoebe from Lois so she could get a bottle ready for her afternoon feeding.

"Why?" Chloe asked, sitting down at the table.

"For not telling me that he was attacked and almost died." Kara replied, sitting down again. She noted the way Lois froze slightly as if the memory were still painful for her to bear.

"For the last time, I didn't…"

"Clark," Chloe interrupted. "Don't bother. We were there, we know what happened."

"Thank you Chloe. At least someone sees it my way." Kara said, smirking at Clark.

"Gee, three women, one man, I'm never gonna win." Clark smiled down at Phoebe, who was grinning widely at him. "How about you? You want to have a go too? Or are you on daddy's side?"

The kitchen suddenly became filled with that adorable baby laughter that Clark loved hearing so much. And then she said. "Dada…"

She'd been saying that a lot over the past couple of days, yet Clark could never get tired of hearing it. It surprised him every time, and made his heart swell with pride and love.

Over by the counter, Lois sighed. "One of these days we might get a 'mama' out of you, girl."

"Give her time Lois, she's still young. By regular standards, she isn't even supposed to be talking yet." Chloe said.

"Yes but my little girl is the exception to the rule and she should be able to say mama by now. I mean come on, its easier than dada."

Clark chuckled, it was clearly still bothering Lois that Phoebe had yet to say it and Clark had spent most of his time trying to teach her to. But with no success. She just kept repeating 'dada' over and over again and then giggling afterwards.

Kara chuckled and kissed Phoebe's head, then stood up. "So are we ready?"

"Yeah, Clark's going to take you and Chloe and I will follow with Phoebe after I've fed her." Lois replied.

"Okay, let's go."

* * *

Metropolis General Hospital was strangely quiet in the afternoons, and no matter how many times he walked down the corridors of this place, Clark could never get used to it.

Kara seemed to sense his unease because she squeezed his hand reassuringly as they stepped into his mother's room. This was the first time since she'd been kidnapped that Kara was going to see Martha.

"Kara! Get in here and give me a hug." Martha said excitedly as Kara walked in and sat down on the bed. She wrapped her arms around her, careful not to pull on any wires.

"It's so good to see you. Are you okay? How do you feel?" Martha asked, doing her own visual check that Kara was really okay.

"I'm fine Aunt Martha. Just glad to be back. I missed you all so much." Kara's eyes took in the grey complexion of Martha's cheeks, she didn't look well, but her eyes sparkled with so much happiness and relief.

"We missed you too sweetheart, we were so worried about you. And the twins? They're okay?"

"They're fine, active, but fine. How are you? I'm sorry that Lex pulled you into this mess."

"Not your fault and I was protecting my granddaughter, I would do it again in a heartbeat."

Clark sat down next to the bed and took his mother's hand. "Yeah, but please don't go making a habit of it, I may be Kryptonian, but I can only take so much. This week has just been…stressful, to say the least."

"There's an understatement if ever I've heard one."

Clark's eyes narrowed. "How are you really mom? Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine. The doctor said I might be able to go home in a few days, I'm healing well. They were actually a little surprised that the wound wasn't as bad as it should've been when I arrived. I think baffled might be a better word for it. I guess Jor-El has his uses after all."

"Not many of them, from what I've heard." Kara said.

"These things happen Kara, there's no point in trying to understand them, or place blame. The only person to blame for any of this is Lex. And he's no longer a problem, to anyone. Now, I would never ever say that I was glad someone was dead, but Lex, he got what was coming to him. He'd been on a dark path for so long. It was just a shame that his delusions led him to believe that he could actually steal your babies."

"Well, it wasn't actually my babies he was after. They were a back-up plan. He originally wanted Phoebe, since Clark was her father, he figured the genes would be stronger." Kara braced herself, aware that she'd just said too much as Clark's face grew darker.

"He was after Phoebe all along?" Martha asked, seeing the look on Clark's face too.

"Yes. He wanted to raise her and the one baby he thought I was carrying, as his own."

Clark drew in a deep breath, and forced himself to remain calm. Lex was gone, he couldn't get to Phoebe or Kara's babies anymore.

"I would never have let that happen." Clark said darkly, hearing Lex's voice as he said such awful things about his daughter. "Lex would never get near her."

Martha patted his hand. "It's over now sweetheart, let it go. Just let it all go."

"I'm trying mom. It's just…when I think about Phoebe, my heart aches knowing that she could've been taken too."

"But she wasn't. Jor-El was adamant about protecting her." Martha's eyes flew to the doorway and a huge smile graced her face. "And speaking of my granddaughter. Here she is."

Clark and Kara chuckled as Lois, Chloe, Jimmy, and Oliver all filed in.

"Sorry about the entourage mom," Lois said, handing Phoebe over to her grandmother. "But we all wanted to see you and the nurse said that it was okay if we didn't stay for too long."

Martha glanced at all of them and wiped a tear away. "I'm so glad you're all here. My family, all safe, happy, and here."

"And we'll always be here." Lois whispered, kissing her cheek. "You're the backbone of this family. We'd be lost without you. Oh and I talked to your doctor on the way in too, he said that you're ready to get out of here soon."

"Yes, I am definitely ready for that."

"And you're staying with Clark and I, naturally."

"Oh Lois, you're such a good girl but I'm…"

Lois held up a hand and shook her head. "Nope, not taking no for an answer on this one. You need someone to look after you while you rest so you're staying with us."

Martha looked over at Clark, who smiled back. "I'd do as she says mom, she won't give up until you do."

Martha laughed. "Okay then, I guess I'm staying with you guys."

**_To Be Continued..._**


	60. Chapter 59

_**Chapter Fifty Nine**_

"So…what do you think?" Perry asked, waiting for a reply from an unusually quiet Lois Kent. Clark nudged her side and she snapped back to attention.

"Are you for real Perry? This is perfect." she said, walking into the brand new office that now belonged to her and Clark, on the tenth floor of the Daily Planet.

"Well, I can't have my two best reporters stuck in the basement, can I?" he said with a hearty chuckle.

He walked to the door and stopped. "But this also means that your workload is about to be doubled. Think you can handle it?"

"We can handle anything you throw at us Chief." Lois replied distractedly, checking out her new desk, which was directly opposite Clark's in the centre of the room. There was a sofa in the corner by the windows, their own coffee machine, and other little knick-knacks to keep them happy.

"I thought you might say that. Which is why I'm so glad to have you back, Lane."

"Kent." she corrected.

Perry sighed. "Just like old times huh? Only problem is, now you're up here, you're close enough to give me even more earache."

"Stop griping, you know you love it. It keeps you on your toes." Lois smiled up at him and Clark noticed that Perry just couldn't keep his smile back. That was the thing about Lois, she always brought that out in him and Clark was glad to see that bond was still there between them.

The last few months had been eventful, to say the least. Not long after the events of her kidnapping and Kara's ordeal with Lex, Lois had been asked to go to the morgue to identify a body. Clark had gone with her and even though Lois liked to put on a tough exterior, he had been able to feel her shaking that day.

Identifying Toby had been hard on Lois, because even though he'd kidnapped her while she was pregnant, she'd still thought of him as misguided and young, not malicious or evil like Lex. He had just been a pawn in his games and Toby had ended up paying the ultimate price for it.

So Lois and Clark had attended his funeral, met his mother, who hadn't been able to stop apologising for what Toby had put Lois through and Clark knew that that had been difficult for Lois to handle too.

But four months later, she was doing okay. She was back at work, she was happy and as sarcastic and loving as ever.

"Well, get to work Kents," Perry said, emphasising the last letter of their name. "You've got a lot to catch up on Lane."

Lois opened her mouth but Perry stopped her. "Yeah I know, I know. _Kent._ And don't be leaving it too long before you bring that little angel in here for a visit."

"I won't. Thanks, Chief." Lois said, her face suddenly serious.

Perry threw her a wink. "You're welcome kiddo. And welcome back. It hasn't been the same without you here."

Clark sat down at his desk as Perry closed the door, and the next thing he knew, he had a woman sitting in his lap.

"Can I help you?" he asked, smiling as he put his arms around her.

"Actually yes, you can." she chuckled, leaning down to kiss him.

"Lois, we're at work."

Lois rolled her eyes and stood up. "I'm not trying to take your clothes off Smallville. Just wanted to kiss my husband, that's…" She was cut off as he grabbed her wrist, pulled her back down onto his knee and planted a searing kiss on her lips.

When he let her go, he had the satisfaction of seeing her legs wobble slightly as she walked back around to her desk.

"Well," she said, breathlessly, as she straightened out her hair. "Time to get to work."

* * *

"Okay, that is it!" Kara said, storming into Clark and Lois' house later that evening, throwing her bag down on the sofa and heading straight for the kitchen.

Lois, who was sitting sideways in the chair with her legs over the arm and her nose in her article, glanced up at her husband, who'd just finished giving Phoebe her bath.

"I think Kara's here." Lois said, laughing.

"Lois." Clark shook his head, urging her to be quiet. The past couple of weeks had been hard on everyone, but mostly on Kara. As she emerged in the kitchen doorway, Lois' eyes widened.

"Is that what I think it is?"

"You betcha!" Kara said, holding the small chilli pepper up to her mouth.

"Kara, they're really hot," Clark said.

"How would you know honey?" Lois asked, smirking. "It's not like you can feel it."

"I don't care, spicy food is supposed to work right? Well I've tried a lot, but I haven't tried these yet. So…"

There was a knock on the front door just before it opened and then Oliver walked into the living room, looking like he was on a mission to defuse a bomb, which from the look of Kara, Lois thought was actually quite accurate.

"Kara, why did you take off like that?"

Kara fixed him with a glare and then turned to Lois. "You know what he did?"

Lois slowly closed the folder on her knees and clasped her hands together. "I have no idea, but I'm sure you're gonna tell me."

"He is refusing to finish what he started."

"Huh?" Both Lois and Clark spoke up.

"Helen and Emil said that the best thing to bring on labour is, well, you know, sex and…"

"O-kaaay, little ears don't need to be hearing this. And neither do mine." Clark said, quickly making an exit with his eight month old daughter.

"Kara, honey, can't we talk about this at home?"

Kara threw him another glare and sat down on the sofa as gracefully as she could. But she was huge now, and overdue. By two weeks.

"No, we can't. I'm exhausted Ollie. I'm as big as a house, aching, tired, hormonal, and just plain sick. I want these babies out! I want to hold them in my arms." Oliver sat down next to her, but didn't dare touch her.

"Ugh, why are they being so stubborn? This is your fault." She poked Oliver in the chest, leaving him rubbing it with a pout.

"What did I do?" Oliver asked, eyebrows raised. He glanced at Lois, who quickly shook her head and sat forward.

"Kara, I know its not fun, but…"

Kara's tone softened a little but her face was still as annoyed. "Lois, you were early. You didn't have to go through this part. I'm carrying twins, everything I ever read, led me to believe that they would be early too. And I'm Kryptonian. Pregnancies do not last this long on Krypton."

"Well, everything else about your pregnancy so far has been completely human, whereas mine was the opposite. They'll be here soon sweetie, you can't rush them. They'll come when they want to."

Kara sighed and leaned back into the sofa. "I know, but it's just so frustrating. I'm not a patient person."

Oliver took her hand in his. "Yes you are, you can do this Kara. It's not for much longer.

"Oliver, I love you but if you don't shut up, I'm gonna sock you one."

Oliver looked at Lois, frowning. "You're a bad influence on her."

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Lois said, throwing her hands up, exasperated.

* * *

Early the next morning, Clark and Lois were sitting in Emil and Helen's joint office as Emil ran a few tests on Phoebe. After getting shot, almost dying again, and clinging to life, Lois had decided that Helen had proven where her loyalty lied. The woman had almost died twice to protect Lois' family and for that, she was grateful.

"Everything looks to be…average." Emil said, looking over at them. Lois heard Clark sigh in relief and knew it was because he didn't want Phoebe to develop any of his abilities. At least, not until she was old enough to learn how to deal with them.

"And she's okay?" Lois asked.

"She's perfect Lois, maybe a little strong for her age, but nothing to worry about. She's a beautiful healthy little girl." Emil said, handing a wriggling nine month old girl back to her father.

Phoebe was getting cuter each day, Lois thought, though as her mother, she was biased. Her hair was now almost black and completely curly, making her look even more adorable. And to top the cuteness off, Phoebe had now taken to saying mommy all the time.

She had yet to say daddy, she still kept calling Clark dada, but he didn't mind in the slightest. But the most heart warming, real part of all that, was the smile that lit up Clark's face every single time she called him dada. Lois just couldn't get enough of it.

Emil crossed over to Helen's desk, handed her a vial of Phoebe's blood and as Lois peered over Clark's shoulder, she was sure she saw Emil's hand rest ever so lightly on Helen's shoulder, and linger there as he leaned over her.

Lois smiled, maybe things were looking up for Helen. Which would be nice. She'd suffered so long with the death of her husband, and even if Emil wasn't _the one_, he could still be enough to make her happy again.

Helen saw them out as they left, pausing in front of the elevator as they all got inside. Lois put her hand on the door, smiling as she leaned out. "Helen, I just wanted to say thank you. I know things haven't been easy, on any of us and I know that you lost a lot."

"Lois, I think I know where this is going and…" Helen smiled as Lois held up a hand.

"Hear me out. Maybe it's time that you take the advice you gave me a couple of months ago. Maybe it's time for you to let it all go. Live for now. Emil's a wonderful guy and I know he's not your husband but…"

Helen started to look a little uncomfortable with the topic, so Lois backed off. "Just think about it."

"I will Lois. And thank you."

* * *

"Well, that went well." Clark said, strapping Phoebe into her car seat outside.  
Stepping back out of the car, he straightened and pushed his glasses up his nose.

"What? I really think I'm right. They have chemistry Clark, you didn't see it?" Lois asked, straightening out his tie for him.

"Emil and Helen? I don't know." But he paused, thinking it through. "Maybe."

"Oh come on, Emil clearly likes her. I think he would be good for her."

Clark pulled her closer and kissed her softly on the lips. "Lois Kent, stay out of it. This is not a place for you to meddle."

"I'm hurt that you think I would." Clark gave her sarcastic look. "Okay, maybe I would but…oh forget it. I guess if it's gonna happen, it will happen."

Clark smiled and opened her door for her to get in. Just as she got inside the car, he leaned in and whispered in her ear. "It happened for us didn't it?"

She leaned over and kissed his cheek as he got in his side. "I guess some things are just meant to be."

Before Clark could reply, his cell phone started ringing.

"It's Oliver." he said, picking up. "Hey Oliver what's…? She is? When? Okay, calm down. Yeah actually we're right outside their…okay, stay calm, I'll go get them and we'll meet you guys at the hospital."

He hung up and turned to Lois, who was now brimming with excitement. "The twins are coming?" she asked.

Clark called up to Emil and Helen, who said they were on their way and then started the car up. "Yep, the twins are coming. And it sounds like they're in a hurry too."

** _Epilogue To Follow..._**


	61. Epilogue

**A/N: **Well guys, here it is. The epilogue. I want to thank you all for reading my story and for taking the time to comment on it too. It makes me feel like I've at least done a half good job lol. But seriously, thanks again I truly do appreciate it. Right enough rabbiting on, here it is. Enjoy :D

_****__**Epilogue**_

Have you ever had that feeling when everything is going right in your life? Where nothing feels out of place or wrong? Where every bad thing that may have happened in your past, is exactly where it should be, in the past? So that you may look forward to your future with a bright, shiny hope.

That's how Clark felt right now. As Superman, he was dedicated to the city, to the world. But as Clark Kent, he was dedicated to his family. They were _his_whole world.

With his video camera in hand, he zoomed in on Phoebe's glowing little face as everyone sang Happy Birthday to her while Lois brought in a cake full of candles. Clark sang along happily, silently praying that for just today, he wouldn't have to rush off. That only for today, he could be a father, a husband, a cousin, a son, and not a hero.

Lois helped Phoebe blow out the candles and then, as everyone started clapping, Phoebe started giggling and Clark fell in love with her even more. Though he wasn't sure how that was even possible. But each day spent with her, was a gift. One he never took for granted.

He couldn't believe she was a year old already. Time seemed to pass so quickly. It felt as if it were only yesterday that Lois had given birth to her, and now she was walking, and talking, in her own special baby language of course, but still, talking.

"Shall we let daddy cut the cake?" he heard Lois saying and then Phoebe yelled. "Daddy, daddy!"

Clark grinned and handed the camera off to his mother, who chuckled as she watched Clark sit down at the table, and Phoebe crawled into his lap as he started to cut the cake.

Though she'd always known he would be, Martha was always amazed at how good of a father Clark was. He was a real family man, exactly the way she and Jonathan had raised him to be. _If only he could see him now_, she thought wistfully. _Our little boy is all grown up, with a family of his own_.

"Mom?" Clark's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "You okay?"

"I'm fine sweetheart, just thinking."

"About what?"

"You, about how far you've come. I'm so proud of you Clark."

Clark smiled, and she could still see that little boy that she had raised in there somewhere. Though now he was a man.

"Well, I wouldn't be who I am today without you and dad. Come on, have some cake."

"Cake ganma." Phoebe cooed, making everyone around her laugh. She had still yet to put the r in grandma, but she was getting there.

Clark took a moment to glance around the room, at all the people there celebrating with them. Chloe was sitting on Jimmy's lap, feeding him a slice of cake, Helen and Emil were in the corner talking, though Clark noticed that Emil had moved a lot closer and Helen hadn't backed away. And judging from the smile on her face, Clark didn't think she minded too much.

The General was deep in conversation with Lucy and her fiancé. Oliver was currently busy trying to get one of the twins to go down for their afternoon nap, and Kara was doing the same, but without much luck. Despite the constant demands that twins often had, Clark could see that Kara and Oliver were doing a fantastic job.

And Kara was slowly getting used to being on her own with them, since Oliver had returned to work over a month ago after having taken two months off. But she'd refused to let Oliver hire a nanny when he'd offered, stating that she wanted to be the one to take care of their children. Clark smiled, thinking back to the day they'd been born.

_"Can't you get us there any faster, _Superman_?" Lois asked, practically bouncing in her seat as Clark drove towards the hospital._

_"Lois, they're probably not even there yet, will you calm down? Anyone would think you were in labour."_

_She threw him a glare. "I didn't have the luxury of a hospital when I was in labour, thank you very much."_

_Clark winced. "Of course, and I know that. But come on, I'm not going to drive like a maniac when we have our daughter in the back seat."_

_Lois scoffed. "You wouldn't drive any faster even if she weren't with us. You drive like a grandma."_

_Clark ignored her jibe and concentrated on getting them to the hospital. It wasn't long before he and Lois were there, and getting dragged into a private waiting room by Oliver, who was, understandably, flustered._

_"Where are they?" he asked frantically. "The babies aren't going to wait around for them to get here."_

_"They were following us, they should be here any minute." Clark replied, placing a steadying hand on Oliver's shoulder. He understood what that panic was like, not knowing what could or would happen, unable to do anything to help._

_"How is she?" Lois asked, swaying gently back and forth to keep Phoebe asleep._

_"She's panicking just as much as I am. Now that this day has finally arrived, she's just…a mess. I need to get back in there with her," Oliver turned to leave but then stopped at the door. "Would you two mind…staying here?"_

_"Where else would we go Ollie." Lois replied. "Now go, be with your wife."_

_Smiling, Clark walked up behind Lois, wrapped his arms around her waist, and placed a loving kiss on the back of her neck._

_"What was that for?" she asked, looking back at him._

_"Do I need a reason to kiss my wife? I was just thinking about when Phoebe was born."_

_"Yeah, quite a day huh? But it all worked out in the end."_

_Clark smoothed a hand over his daughter's sleeping head. "Yeah, and we got something precious in return."_

_"Lois, wake up." Lois opened her eyes slowly, only to see Clark's face hovering above her. With her head on his lap, she'd fallen asleep, but now wished she hadn't. As she sat up, her neck clicked in protest._

_Phoebe was now with Chloe and Jimmy, because Clark felt that a hospital was no place for a little girl, and she was getting tired and cranky anyway. So he'd dropped her off and rushed back to the hospital. But their wait was far from over. For someone who'd been in a hurry to arrive before, they were sure taking their time now._

_"Are they here yet?" she asked. But Clark didn't answer, he just smiled and looked at the doorway, where Oliver was standing, with the biggest smile Lois had ever seen on him._

_"Oliver! Are they okay? Is Kara okay?"_

_"They're all fine Lois. Perfect, just perfect." Oliver replied, tears in his eyes._

_There was a moment of silence before Lois thumped him on the shoulder. "Well, are you going to keep me in suspense or are you going to tell me."_

_"Oh sorry, we have a boy…and a girl."_

_"One of each? That's fantastic! Congratulations!" She pulled him into a bear hug, squeezing so hard that his breathing became restricted._

_"Um, Lois? I kinda need to breath here."_

_"Oh, sorry. One of each, I can't believe it. Kara must be so happy, she said that she would like one of each."_

_"She is. I am. We all are!" Oliver drew in a deep breath, he looked exhausted, but so happy. "They're just…the tiniest little things. So cute and small and…would you like to see them?"_

_"Try and stop me." Lois said, hearing Clark chuckle behind her as she stormed ahead._

_As they entered Kara's room, they were greeted by the sight of a woman who was quite clearly exhausted, but the smile on her face could've lit up the entire hospital._

_"Lois," she said, her eyes drooping a little as she held out a hand. Lois walked over, took it and sat down on the edge of the bed._

_"I did it Lois." The sheer pride on Kara's face made Lois grin. Sometimes, it was so easy to forget that Kara was from a different planet. But going through this, today, well…Lois knew that when Kara wasn't familiar with something, she tended to get a little agitated._

_"You certainly did, congratulations Kara. I'm so happy for you. I knew you could do it."_

_"I wanted to say thanks Lois. I don't know where I would be without you and Ollie, and Clark and well, everyone around me. I love you all so much. But you, I've never felt such a bond with anyone before. I have such fun with you, I can talk, laugh, cry, do anything at all with you. You're the sister I never had."_

_Lois bit her lip, not allowing tears to appear. She swore Clark was turning her into a sap. Or maybe it was Phoebe. She leaned over and placed a kiss on Kara's forehead. "I feel the same way Kara. Except that I have a sister, but Lucy and I were never really this close."_

_"That's sad."_

_"It's all in the past, we can't change it. Don't get me wrong, I totally love her, but we never had that bond that sisters have. I guess that's the result of being separated after your mother dies and one's sent off to boarding school and the other one is dragged around the world." Lois stopped and looked around sheepishly, aware that she'd said too much. Now was not the time for this, so she clapped her hands together excitedly. "Now, where are the two newest Queens?"_

_"Right here." She turned around to see Oliver and Clark each holding a brand new little baby in their arms. Now, Lois was not normally a woman who would go gaga over a baby, cooing and awing, but ever since having Phoebe, her view on babies had changed somewhat. Plus these two were family after all so technically it didn't count._

_As the two men carefully placed each child in Kara's arms, she smiled up at Lois with pride._

_"They're so beautiful." Lois said in awe. "Even if they do have bad time keeping."_

_"Well, they were obviously comfortable where they were." Oliver replied, his beaming smile still glued on his face as he sat next to Kara and took their son, leaving her holding the little girl._

_Lois felt Clark's fingers entwine with hers and she leaned back into his embrace. "So what are you calling them?" Clark asked._

_Kara and Oliver shared a glance. Then Oliver said. "Well, Kara's been reading a lot of baby name books. She's practically surfed every website there is available. In the end, we decided we wanted them both to have good strong names."_

_"So?" Lois pressed._

_Kara grinned. "So, this is Isobel Maria Queen."_

_"And this is Connor Nathaniel Queen." Oliver said._

_"Isobel and Connor huh?" Lois mulled the names over in her head. "Nah, sorry don't like them."_

_Both Oliver and Kara's jaws dropped and Clark nudged her in the back. "Lois!"_

_Then Lois grinned. "I'm kidding. I love them. They're great names and looking at the two of them, they do really seem to suit them."_

_Kara blew out a breath. "Don't do that Lois, I really thought for a second that you didn't."_

_"Sorry. I really do like them though." Lois replied, taking each of the little babies' hands in hers. She stared in turn at each of them. Connor, who was fast asleep, had his father's features, nose, ears, mouth, everything. And he didn't seem to have much hair, but what little he did have was of course, blonde._

_Isobel, was wide awake as Lois studied her. Her eyes were a strange mixture of blue and green, swirling together to form the most beautiful colour Lois had ever seen. And she had a full head of thick dark blonde hair. Lois looked up at Oliver and Kara._

_"They're perfect."_

* * *

Later that evening, the house was quiet, Phoebe was asleep and Lois and Clark were, at last, alone.

"Well, I would say that day went well. Do you think Phoebe had a good time?" Lois asked, standing in the doorway of their bathroom, taking off her jewellery, to get ready for bed.

Clark rinsed his mouth out and smiled. "I think she loved it. She may not have known what all the fuss was about, but she definitely loved the attention."

"Hmm," she replied, walking away, into their bedroom. By the time he'd finished up, and climbed into bed next to her, she was already snuggled in.

"What is it Lois?" he asked, sensing something bothering her.

"Nothing, I'm great." she replied, turning her head around so that she could kiss him. He pulled her body closer to his, revelling in her delicious warmth. Placing little butterfly kisses on her shoulder, he knew it wouldn't take long for her to crack. And as she sighed, he knew he'd been right.

"It's just that, I really hope that she knows that I wanted her to enjoy her party."

"Lois, she's only one. She'll know, when she gets older, she'll know." He wondered why this was so important to her. What was going through that brain of hers? Slowly, he turned her around so that she was facing him, she might be able to lie with words, but her face always told him the truth.

"Why is this bothering you so much?"

"It's not, not really. It's just that…when I was a kid, after mom died, there were no birthday parties anymore. Not one. And I remember feeling sad that no one ever came when it was my birthday. All I got were a bunch of toys designed for a boy from a bunch of guys on the base. My dad was rarely there even when he was _there_, you know? Always busy with something or other. I don't want that for Phoebe. I want her to know how much we love her and that we'll always be here for her no matter how busy we may be…"

"Hey," he said softly, tucking her hair behind her ear. "She already knows that Lois. And we will make every birthday a special one, okay?"

Not just for Phoebe, for you too,

he thought to himself. He made a mental note to throw Lois a huge surprise party for her birthday in a couple of months.

Her eyes met his and he felt sad for the child she'd been. "You know, you're not alone. I never really had any birthday parties either."

"Really?" She seemed so shocked about that. "I can't imagine your mom and dad would…"

"They weren't sure that I would be able to handle it without someone finding out my secret. I had a lot of…adjusting to do when I was a child. Mom did tell me that she felt bad for never inviting my friends, but they always made each birthday special."

"That's what I want for Phoebe." she said, snuggling in closer to him.

It was nights like these that Clark enjoyed the most. Just lying with his wife, cuddling and talking. The simplest things were often the best things. Clark raised himself up onto one elbow and looked down at her. She was so beautiful.

"We'll do whatever it takes. Phoebe will know how much she's loved. And not just by us."

Lois nodded and entwined her fingers together behind his head. "Have I told you that I love you?"

"Not today."

"Well I do. I love every single part of you, the man and the hero."

"You make me who I am Lois. Without you, I wouldn't be able to do what I do. You give my life meaning, purpose. You're the one, that gives me strength to do what I need to do. You're _the one_. You always will be."

She pulled his head down to hers, and he kissed her, softly at first, but then as always, it became more intense. Slowly, he pulled back, he loved to just look at her. To drink in her features, committing every single one to memory.

"Well, I think Phoebe might have someone to share her next birthday party with." Lois said, with a grin.

Clark felt his eyes widen for a second before his brain caught up. "Are you…?"

She tipped his open jaw up and laughed. "No, not me. Chloe."

There was a split second of disappointment right before he started grinning again. "Seriously? Why didn't she tell me? That's fantastic!"

"She's keeping it under wraps for a few more weeks until she knows everything is okay but she just couldn't not tell me. And she knows that I never keep anything from you, so she said I could tell you."

"Wow, Chloe and Jimmy are gonna be parents."

Lois chuckled, a sound that Clark always loved to hear. When she was happy, that was all that mattered to him, he hated it whenever she was upset or sad about something. Especially if he couldn't do anything about it.

After the events of the last year, Clark thought she needed a little more laughter in her life. Lex had almost destroyed everything that was good, but they were strong and they'd gotten through it. And though Clark didn't like the fact that Lex had lost his life, he couldn't deny that he felt a sense of peace, knowing that his family was safer now.

"It should be interesting."

"How so?" Clark asked.

"Well, Jimmy's already enough of a kid. Now Chloe's gonna have two to deal with."

"Lois," Clark chided, but couldn't help but chuckle himself. The idea of Jimmy being a stern parent was quite funny.

Then as their eyes met, both of them stopped laughing. "Do you think we'll ever have another one?" she asked.

Clark frowned, not knowing what to say. On the one hand, he would like nothing more than to have a little brother or sister for Phoebe. But on the other… "That's really up to you Lois."

"Me? Why?" She wiggled her eyebrows. "It takes two to make a baby you know, Smallville. I thought you'd learned that already."

"I'm serious Lois. I know how hard your last pregnancy was on you, and I would understand if you never wanted to go through that again."

Lois put both her hands on his cheeks and tipped his face up to hers. "I would do it again in a heartbeat."

Clark smiled. He didn't know why, but hearing that made his heart soar with relief and happiness. He wanted a big family, but he wouldn't push Lois if she didn't want the same.

"You are the most amazing, incredible woman…" he said, dropping his head to kiss her neck.

"You're only just figuring that out?"

"No, I've known for a while."

"Smallville?" He raised his head at the question in her voice and when he saw the mischievous glint in her eye, he knew what she was thinking.

Because he was thinking the same thing. He wanted her, badly. No, he needed her. She was like the air he breathed, and could never live without.

"Yes?"

"How about we start right now?"

"Really? Now?"

She nodded and wrapped her legs around his waist, bringing herself into direct contact with him and he gasped in surprise.

She winked at him. "You know what they say Smallville, practice makes perfect."

"Then I guess we better get practicing."

_**The End.**_


End file.
